Path of the Fire
by Senka Hitomi
Summary: As Inoichi Yamanaka prepares for the wedding of his only daughter, recollections surface of his own younger days: a time when the members of Team Ino-Shika-Cho were mere Genin, when the team renowned across the Five Nations was only just beginning. [Discontinued]
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer**: Naruto belongs to Kishimoto. _  
><em>

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><p><em>Inoichi looked himself over in the mirror, smoothing down his dark formal uniform before he turned to the door. His hand moved to grab the handle, but it faltered as his gaze came to rest on an old photograph sitting on top of the bureau, its frame covered in a thin layer of dust. <em>

_The picture had been taken so long ago that he almost couldn't recall the memory. Pieces of it emerged, but others filtered away like sand through a sieve, and he was only left with a vague impression. In the sunlight, three figures stood: one large and smiling, one golden and somber, one dark and indifferent. How strange it was, to see them as they had been then… to know them as they were now. _

_Blowing the dust away from the glass, he replaced the frame on the bureau, giving it one last smile before leaving the room in darkness. _

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><p>Inoichi Yamanaka sat on the back steps of the Academy, watching as the sun made its way up over the horizon, piercing the mist to cast a golden haze over the quiet village. It was still early morning, so early that even the instructors were only just arriving, blinking with bleary eyes at the young man sitting patiently outside the building. A few that knew him offered quiet greetings, but most just passed by without speaking, eager to get that early morning cup of tea before the day's trial began.<p>

After about half an hour, the first of the other students shuffled by. None of them so much as acknowledged his presence, aside from a few nervous sideways glances and a cough or two that may or may not have been forced, just to pierce the silence. Eventually, when enough of them had passed by, Inoichi stood slowly, leaving his place on the steps to join the rest of his class in the cold, damp little training room, the one that was hardly big enough to house one squad, much less an entire Academy class.

Inoichi sat near the middle of the room, where the cold was least penetrating. And despite the fact that the room was overcrowded, Inoichi never shared a desk. The seat next to him was perpetually empty.

"Today, class, we'll be reviewing the basic form of the clone jutsu. Now, if you remember from last time…"

Inoichi sighed inwardly, watching as the pedantic old man picked up the chalk and began drawing out diagrams on the board for a technique he had mastered weeks ago. He dropped his chin onto his fists, his eyes going glassy.

This was going to be a long day.

* * *

><p>"Hey look, it's the Yamanaka brat."<p>

Inoichi stopped in his path at the sound of his name, turned and assessed. Behind him, two of his classmates were glowering at him, their figures shadowed in the half-light of the sunset. One was short and skeletally thin, the other of average height but slightly stocky.

Inoichi didn't answer their retort, merely stared with unblinking eyes.

"Well, looks like His Highness won't even deign to speak to us." The one who had spoken sneered, cracking his knuckles as he and his lackey loomed closer, falling into offensive fighting stances. Inoichi would have recognized them from a mile away.

"We'll just have to make him talk." The other one grinned dangerously. Inoichi shifted slightly, watching their movements. He didn't want to fight, but if they forced his hand…

In an instant, the first boy sprang forward, his leg outstretched to catch Inoichi in the side. He seemed sure of his movement, and the other boy remained slightly behind him, ready to step in if something went wrong, but sure all the same that his comrade wouldn't fail.

But when the leg should have made contact, Inoichi wasn't there. Both boys spun around, dumbfounded. The exasperation of losing their prey only heightened their anger.

"Hey, brat, come out and fight like a real man! If you're really the top of our class, prove—"

The last part of the thin boy's sentence was cut off abruptly as he went flying through the air, hitting the dirt path with a resonating thud. His companion followed shortly. Both of them lay prone on the road, their heads spinning slightly.

"What the—" A golden shadow loomed over them, and the two boys looked up, their wild eyes hazy with pain.

"Is that enough?" came the quiet voice.

Inoichi regarded them, his sea-green eyes inscrutable. Then, without waiting for an answer, he turned away, continuing on his path as though nothing had happened.

He was a few yards farther down the road when a shadow fell over his shoulder again.

…but he had been expecting it. His hands folded into the last seal.

His attackers, both with fists raised, froze in place, their eyes unfocusing strangely.

Inoichi turned back for the second time, shoving his hands in his pockets. This time, they wouldn't be bothering him again.

He hoped he wouldn't be late for dinner.

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><p>"Good evening, mother!" Inoichi called, his voice echoing through the large house. There was no response, so he set his bag by the door and walked to the back of the house, his bare feet padding quietly along the carpet. As he got closer to the room in the very back of the house, he heard a strangled sound, like someone was trying to muffle a sob. Knowing what to anticipate, he slid open the back door, sticking his head out to observe the woman sitting out on the terrace.<p>

"Mother?"

A head full of shimmering gold hair turned to look at him. His mother's grey eyes were ringed with red, and she sniffled slightly, making no pretense to cover her crying.

Inoichi sat down quietly across from her, putting his hands over hers, which were clasped around a flowerpot that contained one sad, solitary, wilted plant.

"This one lasted longer than usual." He commented, attempting to smile at her.

She responded with a sad, burbling chuckle. "It did, didn't it?"

"Overwatering?" The question was a valid one. Over the past few days, the plant's health had begun to rapidly decline, and in an effort to save it, Inoichi's mother had begun watering it at least twice a day while he was home, if not more while he was off at the Academy.

"I don't know..." She shrugged, looking at the poor thing with a disconsolate expression on her face. "I tried so hard with this one…"

"I know, mother."

Removing his mother's hands from the sides of the flowerpot, Inoichi picked the plant up and wandered out the back door and into the bushes with it. A few withered grey and yellow leaves, which only days before had been full and green, fell away from the stem as he carried it across the yard, some scattering beneath the bottom branches of the shrubs, others flitting away into the wind, carried across the vast expanse of their estate. He dumped what was left of the flower into the dirt. Using his hands to dig out a little hole in the earth, he fashioned a small grave, a final resting place for the pathetic little plant. When that small ceremony was finished, he picked up the empty pot and trudged back, placing it delicately in his mother's hands. He regarded her with his solemn, owlish eyes as she stared at it.

His mother said nothing, merely stared.

"I hear petunias are good to have in this kind of weather." He offered hopefully. "I can go try to find one tomorrow. If you'd like."

Then his mother smiled, a sad smile, but a real one. She put a hand to his cheek.

"My precious boy. What would your poor old mother do without you?" She stood, brushing the remaining bits of potting soil from her skirt. "Now, enough of my silly laments over flowers. Come along and we'll get started on supper."

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><p>Inoichi ate his dinner voraciously; he had been unaware of just how hungry he was until he sat down. His mother watched him with increasing amusement as he downed two, then three, then four bowls of the soup, finally sitting back with an expression of utter exhaustion on his face.<p>

"How was school today?"

He shrugged, staring at the ceiling with his hands folded over his stomach.

_I got into a fight today, Mom. _He thought. _Won handily too. We learned about techniques I already know, and I passed the test without even looking at the book. The instructor got mad at the Akimichi boy for eating in class today, especially when he tried to put it on my desk and make it seem like I was the one who ate it. _

_I _still_ don't really have any friends._

"It was fine." He mumbled, practically rolling out of his chair to collect the dishes and place them in the sink.

"Good." His mother said simply and Inoichi let out the breath he didn't realize he'd been holding. He was glad that she didn't inquire further; reflexively, he scrubbed at the place on his arm where the boy had grazed him with that kick this afternoon.

"Have you heard anything more about team assignments?"

_Not as done with the topic as I'd thought._ He realized with an inward sigh.

"They'll assign them after everyone finishes their graduation exam."

"Which is when?" His mother pressed, coming to stand beside him as he scrubbed the bowls out.

"Next week, I think." Inoichi shrugged, and his mother clucked, tousling his short blonde hair with a slender hand that shook ever so slightly.

"You'll tell me how it goes, won't you?"

"Sure." Inoichi washed the last bowl and placed it on the drying rack. "I'll tell you all about it."

"Good." His mother beamed at him, but the smile didn't quite reach her eyes.

It made Inoichi terribly sad to see her so distraught, and he knew it wasn't just about the plant. But he returned his mother's smile anyway and told her he was going off to his room to study, telling her he'd come back later to say goodnight. As they moved off to their separate corners of the house, Inoichi wondered what it might be like if it weren't just the two of them left. Maybe then his mother wouldn't be so depressed all the time. Maybe then he could do something that might make her happy. _Really_ happy, and not just that fake happy that she wore like a mask when he was around.

He shut the door to his room soundlessly, sinking into a meditative pose, but after a few moments of restless inability to concentrate, he gave up and sprawled out on the floor instead, staring at the ceiling.

Truth be told, he was worried about his graduation exam, or at least what it meant for his future. Sure, he could pass the tests, but then what? He'd be assigned to a team and a sensei, and then if he was really good, he'd be sent on missions. But what if something happened to him on one of the missions? What if missions meant leaving his mother here all alone and she hurt herself – or did something even worse – while he was gone? He wouldn't be able to live with himself.

His eyes followed the motion of the slow-moving ceiling fan, rotating around and around in lazy, endless circles. He let it lull him into a state of complacency, and his thoughts began to slip away, floating away like the dead leaves of that flower, carried away by the breeze. His body succumbed to sleep borne of emotional exhaustion, and he didn't wake again until the sun pressed through the window the next morning.

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><p><em>AN: So here it is! My next big project. To be quite honest, I've been wanting to work on a story like this ever since I got about halfway through writing Shadows of the Leaf. I think the whole Ino-Shika-Cho team and the connection of their clans is fascinating, and what better way to explore that than through the original team themselves? _

_Couple things about this story now that I've dived into it: Yes, it will be largely Inoichi-centric, but that's merely for the sake of keeping the perspective a bit simpler. I might change my mind about that at some point later on, but I wouldn't count on it. Also, this story is_ directly tied_ to Shadows. That's not to say that if you haven't read Shadows you won't understand it at all, because you will, but if you have read Shadows, you'll immediately be clued in as to what's going on in the "present-day" scenes. Also, I'm trying to be as accurate to canon as possible, but if I make some little tiny errors, please be forgiving, okay? _

_Otherwise, I really appreciate feedback since this is a very new direction for my FF writing, and it's a write-as-I-go type deal, so I don't have it completely sketched out yet. I do have several of the next few scenes already done, however, so I'll be trying to release those as I get them sufficiently edited. And speaking of editing, keep in mind as you read future chapters, I don't have a beta for this story, so all editing is done by yours truly. Please feel free to point mistakes out to me... but nicely, if you don't mind._

_Well, hope you all enjoy!_


	2. Chapter 2

"Zhang Hua. Step forward!" The instructor read off the roster and motioned to the sectioned off portion of the classroom that had been designated for the clone test.

Inoichi watched as the young man stepped forward, his dark eyes glittering with anticipation. He folded the seal with shaking hands, and then…

"Bunshin no Jutsu!" Standing next to the brown-haired young man was a clone with the same devilish grin. The two looked at one another and shook hands. Then the one on the right poofed out of existence and Hua turned back triumphantly to the examiner.

"Pass. Move onto the next exam." The bored Chuunin chosen to be their evaluator gestured lazily toward the door, then glanced back at his clipboard. "Yamanaka Inoichi. Step forward!"

Inoichi walked toward the instructor, his steps measured and graceful. He bowed formally before starting the hand seals, and he thought he heard a sneer come from somewhere behind him.

Inoichi began the jutsu, but his hands flew in such rapid succession that he wasn't sure he had hit every seal, so he went through them twice just in case.

"Bunshin no Jutsu." He muttered quietly.

A cloud of smoke enveloped the area in which he was standing, and he knew immediately, just by the feel of the chakra, that he'd succeeded.

Except…

"Showoff." He heard one of the other students murmur, and when the smoke cleared, Inoichi turned his head, realizing why he'd been called a showoff. He was flanked by not one, but two exact replicas of himself.

The Chuunin instructor raised an eyebrow with interest, marking something down on his clipboard. "Two clones in the time it should take to produce one. Excellent work, Yamanaka-san."

"Thank you." Inoichi bowed again and moved aside, though not before he caught the glare of another of his classmates, this one a girl who he knew would never perform nearly as well as he had on the exam. Her teal eyes burrowed darts into the back of his head, but he chose to ignore it, and slipped out the door.

Hua Zhang sat just outside in the hallway, toying absentmindedly with a miniature shuriken. Though he wasn't paying any attention to the action, the weapon zipped through his fingers at lightning speed, smooth as water rolling over river rocks.

"Ya flunk out, Yamanaka?" His strange way of speaking put a little extra emphasis on the last syllable of Inoichi's surname, almost as though he was mocking him.

Inoichi met the boy's dancing gaze, decided it wasn't a challenge, and shook his head slowly. "I passed."

Hua rolled his eyes, grinning. "'Course you did, Yamanaka. I was kidding with you. C'mon now, lighten up a little. You're so stiff."

"I apologize." Inoichi murmured quietly, inclining his head, but he couldn't admit to remotely understanding this strange boy with the odd accent and fascination for weapons. They'd never spoken much in class, rarely been paired up in spars, and they certainly never saw one another outside of the academy.

"Zhang Hua?" A familiar blonde head poked out of the next doorway. The kunoichi who had been their sparring instructor for the majority of their time at the academy smiled at the two boys and motioned for Hua to move into the next room. "Next test, kid. Let's go."

Hua jumped up, clapping a hand on Inoichi's shoulder jovially before he left.

"Good luck, friend."

Belatedly, Inoichi realized that he should have wished the other boy luck in return, but he was too shocked by the familiar gesture. In all their years at the academy, they had rarely exchanged so much as two words, but here was someone Inoichi might have actually been friends with…

He shook his head. Regardless of whether they might have been friends, it was too late now. Inoichi already had it all worked out in his head. Hua was near the upper-middle in terms of their classmates who would pass exams, which meant that he and Inoichi would never be placed on the same squad. The instructors had a formula, and it never failed that every squad consisted of one male near the top of the class, one male near the bottom, and one kunoichi or a male near the middle of the class.

Inoichi was consistently the top-ranked shinobi in his class, which meant several things. First of all, it meant that the bottom-ranked shinobi he was placed with would be one of the _very _worst who managed to pass the tests, without exception. It was a time-tested ritual. Inoichi wasn't sure what made them do it; perhaps they thought his genius might rub off on the poor sucker. Whatever the reasoning, Inoichi knew it would happen.

Second of all, – fortunately in some cases – it generally meant that the kunoichi placed on his team would also be top of the class; if not the best, then the second best. It was good, at least in terms of skill; though, knowing the girl who occupied the top-rank of the kunoichi in their class and her apparent disdain for Inoichi's entire existence, it would be more of a chore than it was worth to have her put on his team. But, once again, it was out of his hands.

Finally, though, and perhaps most importantly, Inoichi's placement at the top of the class meant that his team would be assigned to the most elite jounin sponsor who would agree to train them. That, at least, was something to look forward to.

"Yamanaka Inoichi?" The same blonde head poked back through the door, her expression slightly more serious, as it almost always was when dealing with her most stoic pupil.

Inoichi looked at the clock on the wall, then back at the door to the clone testing room. No one else had come out in five minutes.

_Someone failed already._ He realized grimly as he walked toward the next room. _One more person who won't be on my squad. _

Leaving the thoughts of his classmates behind, Inoichi stepped through the door.

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><p><em>Outside his house, everyone was bustling with activity, utterly consumed by their own thoughts and barely sparing a glance for the man with a slight limp who waded in their midst. Only when one of Shikaku's relatives almost ran into him –a some-odds removed by marriage, Inoichi thought—did he even register that this was truly happening. <em>

"_Yamanaka-san!" The young man bowed respectfully, his gaze full of awe and fear. "I'm sorry, sir. I would have thought you would have been—I-I mean…"_

_The boy stammered, and he bowed again, obviously intimidated, his face going white. _

"_With the others, you mean?" Inoichi finished, nodding slowly. "Yes, I suppose I should be." _

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><p>"Next squad!" The instructor called out, but Inoichi wasn't holding his breath. Given that he had the top exam scores, his team would likely be one of the last ones announced. He folded his hands on the desk and lowered his chin to rest on top of them, occasionally glancing over at the students to his right and left. He seemed to be the only calm one among them, except for Shikaku, a dark-haired boy who was never awake enough to be anything <em>but <em>calm.

"Akimichi Choza…"

_Middle of the pack…_

"Nara Shikaku."

_Dead last if there ever _was_ one…_

"And…"

_Which meant…_

Inoichi's head snapped up just before…

"Yamanaka Inoichi."

Inoichi looked over at his new teammates. The Akimichi boy alternated between trying not to look at Inoichi and biting his lip nervously. The Nara boy appeared not to have even been fazed by the announcement.

"You all will be assigned to Jounin trainer Omaeda Daisuke. Got that?"

"Yes sir." Inoichi intoned quietly; he noted that his comrades didn't respond. His task finished, Inoichi stood and walked out of the classroom, expecting the two other boys to follow behind him.

It took a full five minutes before Choza came out of the class room, dragging a half-asleep Shikaku behind him.

Inoichi looked at the two of them, and for a moment, an unexplained dread filled his stomach. How in the world would he ever stand a chance of becoming a great shinobi with a squad like _this_? At that same moment, the other part of what the instructor had said dawned on him, and he was sure his face went sheet-white.

_Omaeda Daisuke? Who even _was_ that? Certainly not any Jounin he'd ever heard of. _ Though Inoichi tried to school his expression carefully, a muscle in his jaw twitched, negating all of his efforts to keep control.

"Heh."

Inoichi's head snapped up at the noise, only to find the heavy-lidded Nara boy staring at him with a lazy grin on his face.

"What?"

"Sure isn't your day, is it, Yamanaka? Getting placed in a squad with losers like us, with a nobody for a teacher."

Behind him, the Akimichi boy blanched at his comment, but the look of shame on his face was one of reluctant agreement, and he made no move to deny it. Inoichi just blinked at Shikaku disbelievingly.

"Guess it doesn't matter for you anyway." Shikaku gave a shrug of total unconcern, crossing his arms over his chest. "Never been much of a team player, have you, Yamanaka?"

The sheer confidence of his analysis unnerved Inoichi more than he could describe, and it made him falter in his normal state of calm. Within a mere five minutes of being teammates with him, Shikaku Nara had done the most dangerous thing anyone could do to Inoichi Yamanaka, though neither of them was fully aware of it.

He'd gotten inside his head.

Inoichi regarded him coldly for a moment, and then his gaze flicked over to Choza, waiting to see if he had anything to add.

Choza stayed silent, chewing his lip again.

_So that's how he expresses discomfort. _Inoichi logged that piece of information away for safekeeping, the first of many.

"We will meet tomorrow morning. Training Ground 3, 0700." Inoichi turned his back on them. There was nothing more to be said, and he was afraid that if he responded to Shikaku's accusations, he'd say something more than he should.

As he walked away, he heard the lazy drawl of his confronter calling after him.

"Just because you're stuck with us doesn't make you the leader, Yamanaka."

Inoichi whirled on him, meeting the boy's gaze levelly.

"I did not imply that it did. I simply think that, given we have no knowledge of our teacher, we ought to at least have something to show for ourselves by the time he decides to meet with us."

Shikaku had nothing to say to that.

* * *

><p>It wasn't late when Inoichi returned home, despite the fact that he had delayed returning after team assignments. The barest hint of sunlight still broke across the darkening sky, casting long shadows that filled the empty rooms.<p>

Inoichi walked to the back porch and found it empty.

_At least no dead plants today. _He thought gratefully.

He looked in the kitchen, in the den, even in the garden itself, but there was no sign of any activity. The heavy feeling that had begun to swell in his gut when he first entered the silent house had now turned into a full-on fluttering panic, and his steps quickened as he knocked on the screens of every room in the house, calling out quietly.

"Mother?"

Even her room was empty. His voice cracked as he called for her, and he hated himself for it, for sounding like a child, for being this scared that he couldn't find her. He hated himself for every minute expression of weakness, but he didn't have time to think about that. First, he had to make sure she was alright.

In the midst of his frantic searching, he had failed to notice that the second door from the end of the hallway was ajar. When he finally saw it, he cursed himself for carelessness.

It was the last place he would ever think to check, but the door was certainly open. Normally, the room was kept under lock and key… a key that Mother had claimed to have lost months ago.

Apparently, she had found it.

The ice-cold grip around his heart slackened somewhat as he reached the door and peered into the room, saw the dim light reflecting off the silver tints in her golden hair. He crept to her side where she was sprawled on the floor, checked her pulse, looked for bruising. There didn't seem to be any, and he allowed himself to relax slightly.

_Sleeping._ She was only sleeping.

Unfortunately, though his mother was in a decent state, the room was not. Just looking around in the half-light, Inoichi could see stray scrolls and books scattered all across the floor, most of them journals in an unfamiliar handwriting, though he could guess at their origins, probably quite accurately. He faintly wondered what she had been searching for.

He tidied what he could, piling the books together and restacking them on shelves. The library had been organized at one time, but now it was just a mass of dusty old tomes, with no discernible order. Inoichi didn't suppose it mattered much if he made more of a mess of it.

After he had accomplished what he could, he lifted his mother's sleeping form, struggling slightly. Though he'd done well enough with strength training at the academy, he was still only a child. Somehow, he managed to get her out of the room and down the hall, onto the couch. He spread a blanket across her; she barely registered the movement, murmuring quietly in her sleep. Inoichi's eyes stung as he looked at her.

He closed the room and locked it back; he'd found the key closed in one of the books on the floor. He didn't know what to do with it afterwards, so he just kept it, tucking it away in his pocket to forget about it. His mother probably wouldn't remember the whole incident by the time she woke anyway.

Bone-weary, Inoichi dragged himself to his room, leaving the door open just in case. Even then, he refused to let the stinging tears out, swallowing them with great effort until they stuck in his throat, prickling like a thousand burning needles.

* * *

><p><em>AN: Alright, so here's Chapter 2. Still just trying to kind of establish setting and characters, so sorry if the pacing is a little slow at first. _

_Thanks to everyone who has taken an interest in this so far. I really hope you all continue to enjoy it. _


	3. Chapter 3

"_Yamanaka!"_

_The gruff voice was a familiar one, and Inoichi turned instantly. _

"_You see my son anytime recently?" _

_Nara Shikaku was an intimidating man regardless, but he looked particularly threatening when he was angry. Inoichi, however, had to bite back a laugh._

"_You mean you've lost him already, Shikaku? He shouldn't be that hard to keep track of. I've never seen that boy go anywhere in a hurry."_

_Shikaku scowled. "Don't joke with me, old man. You should be just as worried as I am. Do you know where your daughter is?"_

_That was enough to give Inoichi pause._

"_I'll help you look."_

* * *

><p>Inoichi blinked blearily, and his hand stretched out to find the clock, working on reflex to shut off the alarm.<p>

_Only_, he realized, _there was no alarm going off_.

He remembered hearing the chime, faint, like it had been coming from the next room over rather than his own, and heavy as his dreams had been, the sound was easily masked and dismissed as a part of slumber.

Now, however, he was fully aware that it hadn't just been a part of his dream. Sunlight spilled into the room and made the display difficult to see; he had to cup his hands around to it to read the numbers.

_6:56._

The clock clattered to the floor and Inoichi sprang to his feet, muttering all manner of curses, his tongue stumbling over the unfamiliar syllables as he staggered toward the closet. He pulled on the first clean uniform he found and ran a hand through his hair, reluctantly deciding that it would just have to stay as it was, mess and all. He tore apart half the room looking for his forehead protector, only to find that he'd managed to tuck it safely away in the top drawer of his bureau before collapsing last night. He tied it as snugly as possible around his forehead, but even then it slipped slightly, obscuring his vision just enough that it was a hindrance. Exasperated, he tore it off and ran out the door with it in his hand.

He grabbed the closest item of food –an apple—off the counter and rushed out the door, breaking into a run as soon as he hit the open road. The fresh air cycling through his lungs fueled his energy, pushing the last vestiges of lethargy out through his pores. By the time he reached the training field, he was fully alert, thoughts running through his head with full logic and clarity. The panic of oversleeping was practically gone. If he had to atone for being late on the first day of training with his teammates, he wanted to do so with a level head.

As he approached, though, his panic dissipated completely, replaced with annoyance.

He was alone on the training field.

Despite his inattention, it seemed that he was, as he should have well predicted, the only remotely punctual member of his team.

Inoichi sank to a sitting position, finishing off the last of his apple as he decided what his next course of action should be. Should he wait for them? What if they never came? Then, not only would it be a loss for the newly formed squad, it would also be a loss to his personal training. He stared at the apple core with dissatisfaction. No, that wouldn't do at all.

Perhaps he should go seek them out? Both were members of prominent clans, so it was not as though it would be difficult to ascertain where they lived…

But that idea didn't particularly sit well with Inoichi either; it was a breach of privacy, invading someone's home and demanding they come to practice. Much as he disliked such negligent behavior, he disliked the idea of such a personal interaction even more. Not only that, but it might give them the idea that such an action was reciprocal if he were ever to be late for practice. And _that_ was simply unacceptable.

Inoichi fiddled with his forehead protector as he weighed a few more useless options. The band simply refused to conform to the shape of his head, and the way it crushed the hairs at the front of his scalp against his forehead was unbearable, as he could feel every one of them scratching against the skin. Eventually, he just gave up on the idea of making it fit and tied it to his arm instead. He had to loop the band twice to make it stay, but it was serviceable.

"Umm…"

Inoichi's head snapped up. He'd been so absorbed in trying to make the band stay that he'd completely missed the fact that someone had walked up behind him.

_Careless_, he chided himself.

The Akimichi boy attempted a weak smile and stepped around carefully so that he was facing his teammate. Inoichi noted with interest that he kept a wide berth, as though he were frightened, a fact confirmed by his nervous gaze, which flicked all over the place –everywhere, that is, except Inoichi's face. After a few moments of punctuated silence, he ventured to speak.

"Has Shikaku-san showed up yet?"

Inoichi was tempted to give the boy an incredulous look for even asking a question to which the answer was so obvious, but he bit back the forthcoming retort. They were teammates now, and he had to try to act accordingly.

He eventually answered with a succinct shake of his head.

The Akimichi boy let out a sigh, one that said he had known this was going to happen. Inoichi made a mental note of it.

_So being late is normal for Nara. _

"…sorry about being late, by the way." The Akimichi boy began, as though the conversation had been ongoing. Inoichi glanced over at him; he had taken a seat near to Inoichi, but still maintained a safe distance.

The boy took Inoichi's attention as a sign to keep talking. "I got up on time and everything… I didn't want to be late on the first day." He folded his arms over his stomach and laughed nervously. "I guess I didn't plan well enough. Forgot about breakfast. Kinda stupid of me. I _never _forget about breakfast. My ma says I have a high metabolism, and that's why I have to eat so much. I think she's just…" He stopped, looking up at Inoichi.

"Sorry. I'm talking too much. My ma says that about me too."

Red blotches crept into his pale cheeks, and Inoichi felt he should say something, tell the boy to keep talking or that he didn't really mind the chatter, but he didn't, and soon enough the silence filled the space between them again, and it was too late to offer any consolation.

It was another few minutes before a shadow fell across the far edge of the field, slowly giving way to a figure that ambled with no apparent hurry toward the two boys. The Akimichi boy immediately jumped to his feet, but Inoichi remained seated, his gaze appraising. Nara didn't look at him.

"Good morning, Shikaku-san!" The Akimichi boy looked visibly relieved to see their other teammate, and he turned to Inoichi, obviously hoping to see a similar reaction. Inoichi just waited.

"Mornin'." Nara stuck a hand up in greeting, a gesture which quickly turned into a feline stretch. He yawned widely, then slumped back into posture that was so extraordinarily bad, Inoichi wondered how he was standing at all. "Well, looks like we're here, fearless leader and all. Let's get started."

Inoichi didn't miss the sarcasm in his voice. He still didn't move.

The inaction was enough to catch Nara's attention. His head revolved lazily to look at Inoichi.

"Well?"

Inoichi shrugged.

Nara raised an eyebrow, looked over at the Akimichi boy and gestured back at Inoichi.

"What's his problem?"

Their other teammate gave a helpless shrug and, as if on cue, started chewing his lip.

"Well, Yamanaka, care to explain, or are we mere mortals too far beneath you to be privy to what's going on in that spacious head of yours?" Inoichi could practically see the anger as it rose in the Nara boy, spilling over into his gaze. If looks could scorch, Inoichi would have had two nice, even circles singed into his forehead.

"Well, Nara, I assumed since you cannot find it within your capacity to be on time, that time was not an issue of much concern." He kept his expression perfectly controlled, which only proved to infuriate Nara further.

"Ha," He sneered, "aren't you just hilarious. Regardless of how late I was, genius, sitting here waiting for you to get off your ass is not a productive use of our training time."

"Neither is waiting on someone who is so unthinking that schedules mean nothing to him." Inoichi quipped back. "Is this how you plan to conduct missions as well? Consistently showing up fifteen minutes late? It's a good way to get your comrades _killed_ you know."

The Akimichi boy's eyes went wide.

"Inoichi-san, Shikaku-san, perhaps we should just agree to be more prompt in the future and begin our training…"

"No." Nara cut him off sharply. "No, this pompous bastard needs to become aware right now that he does not have absolute authority in this squad. We _will_ train, but I don't want to hear anything else out of him about being late."

"Threatening your teammates. Another excellent way to conduct a mission." Inoichi remarked.

That was the last straw. Inoichi saw it, saw whatever it was that snapped in Nara, but it happened too quickly for him to react. Before he knew what was happening, the hand seals had already been formed and he was being forcibly jerked off the ground.

"You will get up, dammit." Nara folded the final seal, crossing his hands over his chest. "You wanted something to show our teacher, well there you go."

Inoichi panicked, but his body refused to struggle, refused to go anywhere. It was as though someone had stuck needles in every single one of his pores and was using them to hold him completely rigid. The pain was excruciating, but he couldn't scream. It was only when his arms crossed over his chest—a mirror to Nara—that he truly understood what was going on.

That only infuriated him more, and he wanted to scream at the boy to release him. Only, he found that his mouth refused to move as well.

"Now, you ready to train, Yamanaka?" Nara raised an eyebrow.

The muscles in his jaw had relaxed back to their normal state, but Inoichi still refused to speak. He just stared coolly at the Nara boy.

"Well?"

As Inoichi suspected, after a few moments the grip slowly faded; the longer Nara tried to keep him stationary, the more difficult it was for him to maintain whatever the technique was.

Finally, it slipped enough that a brief burst of chakra was enough for Inoichi to break free. Unfortunately, he wasn't prepared for full control of his body again, and his knees gave way underneath him, forcing him to the ground heavily.

"Inoichi-san!" The Akimichi boy rushed to his side; Nara, unsurprisingly, remained completely still.

Inoichi allowed himself to be helped up, and he brushed his clothes off as best he could.

"Inoichi-san, are you okay?" The Akimichi boy's pale face had gone even whiter with worry as he looked between his two teammates.

"I am fine." Inoichi directed the comment at Nara, though he seemed to be doing his best to ignore the other two entirely. "And I will be perfectly willing to train…"

Inoichi picked up his things and nodded respectfully to the Akimichi boy before turning back toward Nara. "…when all of my teammates decide to act like shinobi."

With that, he left the training ground.

* * *

><p><em>AN: ... and thus Team Ino-Shika-Cho has its inauspicious beginning. _

_Sorry for the dearth of updates recently. Lots of school stuff: I'm actually in the middle of exams right at the moment, but I needed a break from studying - this is_ much_ more enjoyable than Chemistry - so__ the new chapter was born! I really appreciate everyone who has read and/or reviewed so far. I have big plans for this story, and once summer hits I intend to start with regular updates, so bear with me, please. _

_Anywho, hope you enjoyed the chapter, and any feedback would be lovely! _

_- Senka_


	4. Chapter 4

Inoichi considered his options as he walked. It was much too early to return home. If he did, his mother would instantly be suspicious, unless she was in one of her moods. But generally after a particularly bad bout, like the one she had experienced the previous day, she was normal for a short while. That meant that she would likely be alert for the next few days.

No, returning home was not an option.

He supposed he should train, but he would have to find somewhere to do so. Genin were rarely allowed to monopolize a training field, especially not without a squad with which to train. If he wanted to train, he would have to do so in his own practice space, which would be difficult to find.

He clenched his teeth. If only the Nara boy were not so completely incompetent, his team might be tolerable. The Akimichi boy was clumsy, but salvageable with the proper training; however, Nara's lack of discipline was a different problem entirely. They would never be ready for evaluations when their sensei finally deigned to meet with them. _If _he ever did.

That particular detail nagged at the back of Inoichi's thoughts, a vicious feline waiting to pounce on unsuspecting prey. Thus far Daisuke Omaeda had made absolutely no contact with any of the three of them. Did he simply not know that a team of genin was waiting for his training? Or did he simply not care? Often, jonin who had been given the unappealing task of training genin were forced into the task because of a failed mission or poor performance in an ANBU unit. Perhaps Omaeda was one of those.

"Oy, Yamanaka!" The voice, with its strange accent punctuated by odd emphasis placement, was instantly familiar to Inoichi. He half-turned in the road, watching calmly as Hua jogged down the road to meet him, a grin lighting his impish features. "Whatcha doin', Yamanaka? I thought your team'd be training from the get-go."

Inoichi hesitated to answer. Should he tell Hua that the assignment had already failed, that there was no way his "team" could ever fulfill its purpose? His pride was reluctant to let him do so.

He went with a half-truth instead.

"We ended early today."

"Ah, right." Hua caught up to him and gestured for Inoichi to continue walking, setting a pace that was alarmingly fast. "You guys are probably already getting ready for the Chunin exams, right?"

He laughed heartily, and Inoichi's stomach churned slightly. Was this what everyone expected from his team? He had graduated at the top of his class, but he never expected anyone to pay it much attention. The entire village's hope was focused on the class behind him, where they were supposedly bringing up the next great prodigy. Compared to that boy's brilliance, Inoichi's intelligence was a dull glimmer, the difference between a torch and a firefly.

What would they say when they found out the truth?

"What's eatin' ya? You look upset. Did I say something?"

Inoichi shook himself from his reverie, blinking with surprise at Hua. Had his musings been that apparent?

"No. I was just thinking."

Hua nodded sagely. "'Course. Wise old Yamanaka, always stuck inside that complicated head of yours.

"Better be careful," he joked conspiratorially, "or someday you may not be able to get back out!"

Inoichi managed a faint smile and Hua seemed to think that was satisfactory. They walked for a few more yards in silence, then Hua stopped, glancing at his watch.

"Looks like it's almost time for my team's practice. Better not miss it. We've gotta keep up with your team somehow!"

He gave a short, formal bow to Inoichi and then grinned, waving as he ran off down the road. "See ya later, Yamanaka! Don't work too hard!"

Inoichi waved back, feeling a bit as though he had briefly been caught up in a tornado and then abruptly released. He wondered if Hua's fast-paced chatter made everyone feel this exhausted.

"Strange…" he muttered to himself.

The sound of footsteps coming down the road forced him to leave his musings for another time. The footfalls were light, and when Inoichi glimpsed the person jogging down the road, it surprised him.

Despite his girth, it appeared that the Akimichi boy was very light on his feet.

"Inoichi-san!" His breathless baritone was punctuated by gasps of air, and when he finally caught up with Inoichi, he had to pause for few moments to catch his breath.

Inoichi was fairly certain he knew what Akimichi had come to discuss.

"If you have come to ask me to come back to training, I will not do so as long as Nara remains so lax."

The Akimichi boy looked at him with a stricken expression, but it was not one of surprise.

"I figured. Shikaku is… well, he can be difficult at times." He shrugged guilelessly. "But we're a team. We've got to do something."

"I have tried." Inoichi responded.

The Akimichi boy frowned, and opened his mouth as if to protest, but he thought better of it and stopped. In the silence, his stomach rumbled loudly.

All of a sudden, his face lightened, and he lifted his head. "Hey, I'm pretty hungry. Wanna go for lunch?"

Inoichi considered; what could it hurt, really? The Akimichi boy was not the one he had a problem with. Perhaps if they could come to some sort of accord, at least two members of the team would be prepared by the time they met with Omaeda.

"Alright."

* * *

><p>"<em>Choza!" Shikaku barked. <em>

_Choza turned, his leonine mane following his every movement. He smiled at his friends' approach. _

"_Lost your son again?"_

_Shikaku merely grumbled. Inoichi was the one to answer. _

"And_ my daughter. You haven't seen them, have you?"_

_Choza smiled, nodding over Inoichi's shoulder. Both Inoichi and Shikaku turned to look behind them._

_Standing in the shade of one of the many trees that inhabited the Yamanaka estate, Shikamaru held up a hand to wave lazily. "Seen whom?"_

_Choji was not far behind him. "Probably you."_

"_And my daughter?" Inoichi emphasized. Choza snickered lightly behind him. _

_Shikamaru shrugged. "How should I know? I'm not allowed to see the bride beforehand, right?"_

"_So help me, boy, I taught you better than to speak to your future father-in-law that way." Shikaku growled. Shikamaru just grinned, but it quickly faded when he saw that his father was not in a joking mood._

"_Honestly, I haven't seen her. Maybe Sakura would know." He shrugged nonchalantly. _

_Inoichi fought back a smile. If Shikamaru was nervous, he certainly didn't show it now. When he stared off into the distance, the slightest hint of smile lit his face. The smile brought to memory the wedding of another Nara shinobi, one who had been equally happy to wed his bride. Hard to believe that had been so long ago. _

_It's good, Inoichi thought. Good that the boy is happy._

"_Well, I suppose I'll continue the search then."_

* * *

><p>Inoichi had never seen someone eat so much in his entire life. As he picked at his miso, Choza slurped down his third bowl.<p>

"So are you worried?"

Inoichi looked up at the Akimichi boy's words, squeezed in between mouthfuls.

"About what, precisely?"

His teammate finished off the last of the bowl with great relish. "That our sensei hasn't, you know… contacted us. Do you think we should go find him?"

"I…" _Don't know._ Inoichi thought with annoyance, but he couldn't say that. "…think we should wait a bit longer, perhaps. He must know about the assignment, after all."

"I hope so."

Choza looked at his empty bowl with a frown.

"We're… not really ready to see him, are we?"

Inoichi didn't bother to censor his thoughts this time.

"No, we're not."

There was silence for a few moments. The restaurant wasn't particularly busy for a weekday afternoon; only a few customers sat chatting quietly while the owners reclined on the counter, swatting at the occasional fly that buzzed in through the window. It was almost relaxing.

Then Choza slammed his fist down on the table. The force of the blow shook the whole structure, and the sound was enough to make Inoichi jump.

"You and Shikaku have to figure this out."

Inoichi shrugged. "I would be perfectly willing to work with him if he would simply be civil."

Choza shook his head. "No, that's not good enough. Even if you all have to fight it out, we have to work together. Shikaku is not going to back down, and neither are you, but you have to find some way to make it work. We're shinobi now, and we have to act like it."

Choza picked up his check and stood up, crossing his arms as he regarded Inoichi. His posture held an authority that Inoichi hadn't noticed in previous encounters, and it surprised him. Perhaps he truly had underestimated the Akimichi boy.

"Either you solve it, or we all go back to being failures. Not even Genin. Your choice, Inoichi-san."

He paid for his check and left the restaurant, leaving Inoichi alone with his thoughts.

Maybe, just maybe, the Akimichi boy was right. Maybe he did have to… compromise. The idea didn't appeal to Inoichi, but one thing was certain: he was not about to be reduced to less than a Genin.

His mind made up, he paid for his own check and headed out. There were some errands he needed to run, and he had no time to waste.

* * *

><p><em>AN: Of all the stories I've written thus far, I really have to say this one is probably my favorite. Working on it is just so interesting!_

_Anyway, thank you to all of you who have read so far! I'm so glad that this has generated a little bit of interest. If you would, leave me a review and tell me what you think of the story and how it's progressing. And, as always, happy reading!_

_- Senka_


	5. Chapter 5

When Inoichi arrived home that evening, he found dinner already prepared and his mother waiting to greet him at the door. The brightness of her smile told him that it had been, if not a normal day, at the very least a good one, and he took his cue from her, skirting around the exact details of his failed practice that morning. They passed dinner companionably and by the time they finished, he was almost as convinced as she was that the day had been nothing more than ordinary.

He made sure the alarm had been set properly, and when he woke the next morning, he had more time to consider his options.

This was not going to be an easy process. The fact remained that Nara was stubborn and practically impossible to work with, but there was no denying that failing to resolve their differences was worse than tolerating him for a relatively short amount of time. If their team was incompatible, Inoichi was sure that something could be done, if only their sensei would recognize it. He let this idea buoy his thoughts as he jogged to the training ground; despite the fact that he wasn't late today, he found that he liked the way a run in the fresh air cleared his head, making the world seem more logical around him.

He was not, however, expecting the sight that met him as he rounded the last bend in the road.

The Nara boy was seated on the grass, his posture as terrible as ever, but he seemed alert; as soon as he caught sight of Inoichi, his gaze sharpened and locked onto him with the same penetrating look he'd worn only a few days prior.

Inoichi swallowed the anger – and the almost imperceptible twinge of fear – that his gaze inspired and slowed his pace.

"Well?" Nara let the question hang in the air.

"We have our assignment." Inoichi responded levelly.

"And until we see our sensei, that's not likely to change."

_So Nara has assessed the situation as I have. _The thought both repulsed and surprised Inoichi: that the Nara boy even had the capacity for such a logical frame of mind. However, if it made this process simpler, it was agreeable.

"That is true."

The silence penetrated the clearing.

Inoichi cleared his throat. "So we train?"

Nara shrugged. "We train."

With the silent détente established, they set to work.

* * *

><p><em>Leaving Shikaku to speak with his son, Inoichi continued his search for his daughter. More guests were arriving by the minute, and several of them took the time to acknowledge Inoichi with a smile or a nod, or even a short conversation. He almost ran straight into the young grandson of the Third, who skirted around him at the last minute, grinning and shouting a greeting. <em>

'Not so young anymore,' _Inoichi thought with a wistful smile. _'He's his father's spitting image.'

_The boy was all legs and arms, gangly and clumsy, and ready to take on the world. It seemed like only moments ago that he had been a child, just coming into the world. _

_Inoichi was interrupted from his thoughts – and his quest to find Ino – by someone who cleared their throat emphatically to get his attention. Inoichi turned in his path to see the Hokage staring at him impatiently, a sardonic grin on her face. _

"_Prepared to see your daughter married, Inoichi-san?" She motioned for him to continue on his previous path and moved to stand beside him, matching him step for step._

"_As ready as I'll ever be, Tsunade-sama." He answered truthfully. She smiled at the honest response. _

_They walked in silence for several paces, and Inoichi considered what this must be like for Tsunade. The love of her life had never lived to see their wedding day. What must it feel like, to have that ripped from you? It made him all the more glad that his daughter was getting this opportunity._

_It was still a shame for Tsunade, though. Dan had been a good man. The _best _of men, if Inoichi's short acquaintance with him had been any indication. _

"_Well, I wish them luck." Tsunade said quietly, and Inoichi could see from her expression that her thoughts must have mirrored his own. _

"_They deserve it."_

* * *

><p>Inoichi watched with dissatisfaction as Choza went flying for the third time.<p>

"The release is not working, Nara." He frowned in dissatisfaction.

Nara gritted his teeth, and Inoichi could see that he was working very hard not to yell.

"I don't know what else to do. The suspension of chakra control either happens gradually or rapidly, but returning it voluntarily has always been a rapid process. It's only gradual if my _own_ chakra runs out."

"Try it again, then."

Choza looked up despairingly at Inoichi's order. He was developing a veritable tapestry of bruises, and he really didn't want to be the subject of Shadow Possession again.

Inoichi, however, refused to have the technique applied to him, so the task fell to Choza. If a few bruises were what it took to keep the team together… well, he'd have to take them.

Nara began the hand signs again, but this time, the shadow didn't move farther than six inches away from him before it burst into nothingness. He cursed audibly.

Inoichi sighed.

"Again!"

* * *

><p>The dark-haired man sat just above the training grounds, his feet dangling off the edge of the building's roof. Smoke curled from thin lips as he lifted the cigarette away from his mouth; it had almost completely burned away, and he fumbled in the pocket of his flak jacket for his lighter. He frowned at the nearly empty packet in his hands.<p>

_Time to restock_, he considered with distaste.

As he lit the next roll, his gaze strayed downward to the training ground he'd been observing for the last half hour. A ragtag group of boys were practicing what looked like basic team formations – and doing spectacularly badly at it, from what he could tell. He wasn't sure whether to laugh at it or just leave in disgust. Comical or not, this was… _ridiculous. _

"That your new team, Omaeda?"

The voice caught him off guard, and in his surprise, the pack of cigarettes slipped from his grip, cascading soundlessly to the ground below. Fortunately, the boys were too caught up in their training to notice.

"Goddamn, Katō," He murmured without turning, "Think you can be a little louder when you come up behind a guy?"

The light-haired man chuckled as he sat down, and the grin caused just the faintest hint of smile lines to appear in his face. It faded just as quickly, however, replaced with an expression of concern that he concentrated at Omaeda. Omaeda did his best to ignore it, blowing smoke rings into the air in front of him.

"Shouldn't you be training with them?" Dan pressed, gesturing down to where the slightly stocky redhead had just been knocked flat on his back by some undetectable source.

Omaeda took a moment to watch before he answered. The dark-haired boy offered a hand to the one that had fallen. The blond simply stood to the side, his arms crossed in apparent impatient. He said something that was unintelligible at such a distance, but Omaeda caught the dark-haired boy's reaction to the order.

It was not one of acceptance; _that_ was for certain.

"What's the point?" He turned to Dan with a skeptical grin. "Look at them. Watch them for a few moments. Katō, they won't last three days. Three hours, even. What's the point in training them just to die?"

Omaeda was perversely pleased to see Dan's incredulous response, because he'd been fully expecting it. Dan practically stammered his response, and Omaeda could see the anger rising in his eyes.

"_What_? Pardon my saying so, Daisuke, but that's bull shit. They're just kids, you haven't even given them a chance!"

"A chance to what?" He bit back, and the words left an acrid taste on his tongue. "To die? To be slaughtered like pigs? Like the _children_ they are?

"Pardon me, Katō," He retorted mockingly, "but they're better off just failing from the get-go. I'm not going to be the one that sentences them to die."

Dan stared at him, his green eyes still flashing with quiet fury.

"They signed up for this, though. Even if they are young, they knew what they were getting into. Do you know who they are, have you even read the personnel files?"

"Of course I've read the files." Omaeda said tiredly. "Did you think I wouldn't? Choza, firstborn of the main Akimichi line. He's probably the one with the most potential, because while he has a tendency to overeat, he's dedicated. Shikaku, he's a different story. Brilliant, but lazy as all hell and a defiant streak that's as bad as they come. From what I've heard, every teacher he's had has butted heads with the boy, and they end up on the losing end."

"And the last one?" Dan pressed.

Omaeda regarded Dan sharply. "You know who he is, Dan."

"Of course I do. But what about him? You know he…"

Omaeda cut him off. "You know what happened to his old man on his last mission? You heard the reports about what's happened to the wife?"

"Of course." Dan answered more quietly. They sat in silence for a moment, both watching the three boys. It was only moments before another formation fell to ruins.

"He could be brilliant. But he's a liability, no matter which way you look at it."

Dan sighed. "I just… well, I think you're wrong, Omaeda. I look at these boys, and I see potential. I know you don't want to be responsible, I _understand. _But they want to be shinobi. They wouldn't be here if they didn't. And it's not your place to take that from them either. Just think about that.

"Besides all that," Dan added, raising himself from his sitting position. "this isn't just an option. This is an assignment, and you know who you're reporting to. The Hokage…"

"Damn the Hokage. Damn this whole fucking system." Omaeda swore, clenching the cigarette between his teeth.

Dan regarded him for a moment. "You know my thoughts on that, so I won't bother to waste my breath on you."

"Don't you have a girl to go chase after like the lovesick puppy you are?" Omaeda smirked as Dan flushed noticeably.

"Tsunade… she…" He swallowed, shaking his head. "It doesn't matter. You just think about what I said, okay?"

"Whatever. Give my regards to Her Highness." Omaeda sniggered as Dan took off, bounding across the rooftops. He turned his gaze back to the field below.

Dan Katō could preach all he wanted, but it wasn't going to change Omaeda's mind.

If those three really wanted to be shinobi, they were going to have to find themselves another teacher.

* * *

><p><em>AN: I know I've probably said it before, but I really love writing this story. I have so many ideas for it, and I haven't even gotten to the majority of them yet. I'd be very interested to hear predictions about what you all think might be coming up in the next few chapters._

_On another note, I enjoy writing Dan. I think he's a very noble character. I got the inspiration to include him from the manga, because Choza seems to recognize him and be at least somewhat familiar with him. It only stands to reason that they might have met when Team Ino-Shika-Cho were still Genin, as you'll see in the coming chapters, especially considering Dan's early demise. _

_I appreciate all my readers that have stuck with me so far and continue to follow my updates, despite how sporadic they are. I would really love to hear feedback, so leave a review, if you'd be so kind. Thanks!_

_- Senka Hitomi_


	6. Chapter 6

They trained for an entire week, and with each passing day, Inoichi despaired of their ever making even the minutest improvement. Nara's jutsu remained as out-of-control as ever, and Choza was little help in solving the issue. The primary function of his ninjutsu was expansion, and Inoichi had not yet figured out how to use that to their advantage.

As for himself, he'd relied primarily on basic academy skills, rather than delving into the specialties of his clan. Both Nara's Shadow Possession and Choza's Expansion jutsu were specific to their respective clans as well, yet still Inoichi hesitated. Though most people were generally aware of the nature of the Yamanaka ability, he had never shared with his teachers the extent to which he had learned to control it. Which, he admitted to himself, was still not much. Part of his hesitance stemmed from the fact that he truly didn't _know_ all the consequences of the jutsu. He knew it changed perceptions, and often left the recipient of the jutsu disoriented, but that was not the primary purpose of the technique. Inoichi himself was often left with a vague impression of images and thoughts after using it, memories that he didn't recall from before, emerging in an almost dreamlike state.

The idea of botching it up scared him, and so he skirted around it in training. Perhaps, if they continued to fail as badly as they had over the past week, he would never even get the opportunity to reveal it.

Each night, he returned home more tired than the previous day. Even his mother, who he rarely allowed to see anything other than his content façade, began to see the change. Occasionally, he caught a concerned glance, and more often than usual, she inquired about his sleeping habits.

By the final evening of training that week, Inoichi practically dragged himself home, turning down Choza's offer that they all go out for ramen. Even if he'd wanted to spend more time around his teammates, he didn't think his body and mind could take the extra abuse. The road blurred in his vision as he walked, the thrum of frustration rattling the inside of his skull. Sunlight was dimming the road, and it vaguely occurred to him that if he just sat down here, no one would probably miss him for a few hours. He stumbled slightly, his foot catching on air.

He closed his eyes for a moment, trying to regain his frame of mind. When he opened them, he was surprised to see someone else, standing not too far down the road. Had he always been there?

The man was tall and thickset with muscle, and he stood with arms crossed over his chest. He was a smoker; the acrid stench of it met Inoichi's nostrils even before he reached the man, and the fumes stung his eyes. He seemed not to notice Inoichi until he had almost passed him entirely. As if he suddenly remembered his purpose for being there, he caught up to Inoichi, matching him step for step.

"Hey, kid."

Inoichi was not in the habit of answering to such remarks, so he kept walking.

"I know you're not deaf, kid."

Inoichi raised an eyebrow, certain that the man could see it, but still he continued on his path.

"Kid, I've got to talk to you about something important. It's about your team." He stuck out a hand. "Omaeda Daisuke. That ring a bell?"

That was enough to make Inoichi pause. He turned in the road, glanced down at the proffered hand and then back up at the man's face. He had broad features, and light eyes that revealed nothing of his intent in starting this conversation.

"I'm listening." Inoichi said carefully.

Omaeda dropped his hand. "Yamanaka Inoichi, am I right?"

Inoichi gave him a succinct nod, doing his best to hide his fatigue. The first meeting with his sensei, and it had to be _now_? Just when Inoichi had believed his luck couldn't get any worse…

"You seem to have appointed yourself the leader of your little squad—"

"How do you know that?" Inoichi hadn't meant to voice his thoughts; in his addled state, they'd simply slipped past his filter.

Omaeda shrugged off the interruption, seemingly unfazed. "Seen a little of your training this week. Listen, kid, we've got to touch base about a few things."

_That _did not sound promising.

"As I said, I've seen some of your training sessions. I've been selected as your instructor, but I—"

"You're not planning to train us." Inoichi interrupted for the second time, but this time he felt not the slightest inkling of guilt.

The grimace on Omaeda's face was enough to confirm it.

"It's not like that."

"Oh, but it is." Inoichi bit back, and he couldn't keep the fury out of his words. "You're not going to train us, and you come to tell _me_, so that I, the self-appointed leader, can break it to the rest of the team. Is that it? Because you're too much of a coward to face three _kids_?"

He put particular emphasis on the last word, spitting it out in a mockery of the casual tone Omaeda had used only moments before.

Almost immediately, he recognized that he had stepped too far over the line. This was not merely a superior, but the person who was supposed to be his teacher. Inoichi could see the anger building in Omaeda's face, the way the muscles clenched, barely controlled, like a storm about to be unleashed.

"That's just it, you're kids!" Omaeda hissed back at him. "You don't have any damn idea of what the real world is even like!"

He looked as though he was about to say more, but he struggled with the words and finally swallowed them. His demeanor changed, relaxing a bit, though Inoichi could still see the ire boiling just below the surface.

"That's not the point though." He cleared his throat. "What I was coming to tell you was this: I've been assigned on a mission."

_A mission? When he was supposed to be training three genin?_ Inoichi thought the story somewhat fishy, but he managed to control his tongue this time.

"It's a relatively short one, if that's what you're wondering. One week, at most. They've been understaffed recently, and I was one of the Hokage's last choices because of the assignment with you three, but sometimes you've gotta do what you've gotta do."

There was enough resentment in that statement that Inoichi knew he was not getting the full story; he stayed quiet nonetheless.

"My proposal is this. You all have until I get back to get into decent fighting shape. Learn a few formations, practice your techniques, work as a team. We'll do an evaluation when I return, and _then_…" He gave Inoichi a stern look. "…then I will decide whether or not we train."

* * *

><p>"One week?" Choza groaned despairingly, his eyes widening. Inoichi only nodded, trying to contain his own disappointment.<p>

He glanced over at the Nara, who he expected to chime in with a statement of defeat at any second.

Surprisingly, none came. Nara sat as calmly as ever, as though the news hadn't affected him at all.

"Then we have no choice but to train."

Two pairs of eyes stared at him incredulously.

"We'll never be ready in time!" Choza shook his head, looking down at his hands.

"We didn't get anywhere in the past week." He added quietly.

"I am inclined to agree with Choza-san." Inoichi said reluctantly. "I do not think we can be up to his standards in such a short time."

"Then you all need to get out of that mindset and pull yourselves together."

They both gawked at him anew; though Inoichi's version of gawking was far less evident than Choza's.

Nara fixed them both with a determined stare. "If we weren't doing enough last week, we train harder. Longer hours, more effort, less breaks."

"Are you… are you sure about this, Shikaku?" Choza looked as nervous as Inoichi felt.

Inoichi found Nara was looking to him, as if for support. When Inoichi said nothing, he spoke again.

"Listen," he muttered with slight annoyance, "when it was my own laziness that was causing me to fail, I was willing to accept it, because it was _my _responsibility.

"But if this bastard says we can't do it?" His tone changed, imbued with new conviction. "We're going to prove him wrong. He has no right to say we aren't ready, and we're going to show him exactly what we're capable of."

Inoichi almost found himself nodding in agreement, but he caught himself just in time. _Agreeing _with the Nara? This must be going to his head more than he thought.

Choza, however, was fully convinced. He grinned, all traces of nervousness erased by fervor to accomplish their new goal.

"So when do we start?"

Shikaku just smiled.

* * *

><p>As it turned out, Inoichi quickly discovered that part of the fault in their training was the fact that <em>he <em>had been leading. The fact irked him for a short while, but it was quickly supplanted by curiosity when he realized that the strategies Nara developed were actually _working._

Their previous training, Nara explained, had focus too much on the use of his Shadow Possession as a major technique rather than a secondary maneuver. They should have instead been focusing on the raw power possessed by Choza, which not only was capable of far more on the offensive, but also provided a distraction for more fine detail work that might be accomplished by his other teammates. Choza, meanwhile, reveled in his newfound usefulness.

Inoichi, they found, was easily the most skilled at basic ninjutsu techniques, as well as detecting the use of particular traps, and as such, was often assigned to the main "mission" that they developed in drills, while Nara provided a chance to subdue an enemy. He still was unable to hold the technique for an extended period of time, which seemed to be the most problematic aspect of their formation, but by the time they finished training on the third day, Inoichi found himself wondering how they had ever thought to train any other way.

Tired, but satisfied, he returned home with a smile on his face. Come what may, they would be ready for Omaeda when he returned at the end of the week.

* * *

><p>Dan scanned the file as he walked down the hall, his hands shaking with suppressed rage. This wouldn't have happened if they had just taken his advice and sent a medical-nin, but now…<p>

He sighed and knocked on the door to the Hokage's office.

"Come in." A gravelly voice with an undertone of frustration sounded clearly through the wall, and Dan entered, calming himself before he presented the news.

"Hokage-sama." He inclined his head slightly, and the Third motioned for him to move closer, though he didn't look up from the paperwork scattered haphazardly on his desk. Dan waited to speak until he looked up.

"You have a report, Dan?"

"Yes, sir." Dan replied grimly. He laid the file flat on the desk and opened it, spreading the papers out so the Hokage could see each of them clearly.

The older man's eyebrows furrowed, and as he leaned in to view them more closely, Dan could see lines of worry start to form across his brow.

"This was supposed to be a routine survey mission."

"And yet four men end up dead." Dan replied matter-of-factly, trying to hide how much it pained him. One of those men he had spoken to only hours before he left, wishing him luck on what was supposed to be a simple assignment.

"The bodies have been recovered?" The Hokage sat back in his chair, regarding Dan seriously.

He nodded. "They are being examined as we speak."

The Hokage frowned, folding his hands in front of him. "I want to hear back as soon as we get word of anything."

"Of course, sir." The purpose of Dan's meeting had been mostly to bring these papers to the Hokage's attention, but something about the situation still nagged at the back of his mind. He was almost to the door before he turned around.

"Hokage-sama?"

The older man looked up as though he hadn't even realized Dan was still there.

"Yes, Dan?"

"About one of those men, well…" Dan walked back to the desk and picked up the report on the far left. A familiar wide face stared back at him, though he looked odd without a cigarette clenched between his teeth. The sight sent a pang of guilt through him.

"Well, he was supposed to be training a genin squad, sir."

The Hokage held his hand out for the report, and he scanned it over, his frown only deepening as he read it.

"Omaeda… he was, wasn't he? I thought assigning him on this would just be—"

The end of the sentence was cut off by the sound of the door banging open. A thin figure with spiky dark hair, barely contained by his hitai-ate, strode through the door frame. He stopped to survey the room with interest, as though it hadn't occurred to him that someone might already be occupying it. Seeing Dan and the Hokage, his face broke out into a huge grin, and he ambled forward, leaving the door wide open.

"Hey, Dan! Hey, pops!"

The Hokage scowled. "Would you please shut the door behind you?"

The young man moved obligingly to do so and then came back to stand in front of his father's desk, still grinning like a madman. Dan had to try very hard to contain his laughter at the exchange between father and son.

"What do you want, Tobirama?" The Hokage inquired in a tired voice, as though it were more of a rote response to his son's entrance than an actual inquiry. It made Dan wonder how often the Hokage's son decided to barge into his office.

"Just checking in. I went to visit Mom for a while over at the hospital, but she wasn't too thrilled to see me…" He shrugged. "Anyway, I thought I'd come over here and see if there was anything I could do on my day off! I—"

He stopped suddenly, and his bright smile faltered. Dan could practically see the cogs turning in his head as he looked between the two of them.

"Did I interrupt something?" Tobirama gave an exaggerated grimace. "Yikes. Sorry, 'bout that. Guess I'll head out."

He clapped Dan's shoulder. "Always good to see you. You and Tsunade still okay?"

Dan stammered, and he could feel the color rising in his cheeks. This was not a conversation he wanted to be having in front of the man who was both the Hokage and Tsunade's former sensei.

Tobirama, however, thought it quite funny. He laughed heartily at Dan's fumbling response, elbowing him in the ribs. "I'll take that as a yes. Anyway. See ya, pops!"

He was gone just as quickly as he came, and Dan got the vague impression that a whirlwind had just made its way through the office.

The Hokage shook his head as the door closed. "Some days, I just don't know what to do with that boy."

Dan smiled sympathetically. "He's a fine shinobi. And he's still young."

That drew a laugh from the Hokage. "Perhaps you're right. Wise beyond your years, my boy.

"As for this…" He held up Omaeda's report and placed it back in the folder. "I'll see what I can do. Just don't expect any miracles. They may already be too far gone."

Dan bit his tongue. Over the last week, he had occasionally walked by the training fields. Those boys were anything but too far gone. They were improving markedly.

Still, they needed a teacher; but he wasn't about to express that opinion just yet.

"Thank you, Hokage-sama."

Dan left the office with just the slightest bit of hope. If there was anything the Hokage truly cared about, it was the future generations of shinobi.

He only hoped that consideration would be a factor in deciding the fate of Omaeda's genin team.

* * *

><p><em>AN: So this is definitely the longest chapter so far, because I felt like the last few were a little short, and I'm trying to set up some important plot points. I think I'm going to try to match this length on future chapters. _

_I really appreciate the reviews. You all have given me some great ideas and some excellent criticism, so I think I have a better idea of where I need to go with the story. Keep it up, please! _

_Also, if you see any errors in this chapter, please feel free to point them out nicely in your review. I got inspired to write at like 11 at night, and while my ideas tend to get better late at night, my grammar and spelling occasionally gets worse, especially writing at such a rapid pace. _

_So, hope you enjoy and thanks for reading!_

_- Senka Hitomi_


	7. Chapter 7

Foregoing the idea that he was going to get any decent sleep after waking for the third time that morning, Inoichi spent an hour meditating before he finally decided that he was simply too restless and left for the training ground.

Rationally, he realized that he should have been exhausted. His team had been training constantly over the past week, barely pausing to eat as they slaved from dawn to dusk. Still, his anxiety overrode every ounce of weariness in his body.

Today was the day. The day that Omaeda would return, the day that everything they had worked for would be put to the test. It hadn't been a simple process. There had been plenty of bickering – or rather, taciturn silence on the part of Inoichi and mumbled strains of expletives from the Nara boy, punctuated by Choza's pleas that they would "please just get along long enough for us to train!" There had also been moments where Inoichi wasn't sure he could continue. He had been working himself to the bone with ninjutsu techniques, developing every strategy possible to only use the barest extent of his clan jutsu.

Despite his growing comfort with the team formations, he simply wasn't ready to reveal that. Nara was already suspicious of him, and the Yamanaka techniques were ones specifically designed for interrogation. Their trust was only tentative at best – now was not the time to break it.

Inoichi approached the field expecting to be the first to arrive, as usual, but was surprised to find a figure already sprawled on the grass. A spiky-haired head barely rose to look at him, sinking back down when he recognized the approaching figure.

Inoichi stopped short, not sure what to say. Fortunately, he didn't have to wait long for a response from Nara.

"What, I can't be here early too?" An ironic smile lit his bony face, making him seem older than he was. Inoichi could only shrug as he sat down, placing his pack on the ground in front of him.

In the uncomfortable silence, a strange realization dawned on Inoichi. For the past few weeks, he had taken Choza's presence mostly for granted: the boy was not particularly outspoken, and while he was a critical part of their formation, he was unobtrusive the rest of the time. Now, however, Inoichi realized that Choza was the glue keeping them together. When confronted with just the Nara boy, Inoichi had nothing to say. They shared no common ground, other than the team itself; the only reason for their interaction had been purely circumstantial.

"You think he'll actually show up?"

It took a moment for Inoichi to understand the question. Consumed as he was by his thoughts, he immediately assumed Nara was referring to their other teammate.

"He is occasionally late, but I believe he knows the importance of our meeting today."

Nara sat up slightly, his expression skeptical. "Occasionally late? I thought you'd only met him once."

"Who…" The phrase stopped midstream, caught on Inoichi's tongue. He swallowed the words, inwardly chiding himself for not realizing what Nara had meant in the first place.

"You meant Omaeda."

"Who did you think I meant?" Nara said with a slight sneer. The thought of Nara's condescension made Inoichi's insides boil slightly, but he kept his cool.

"I assumed you meant our other teammate. I apologize, I was not paying attention."

The Nara boy gave him a scrutinizing look, but he apparently decided looking for an explanation was a hopeless pursuit and returned to his cloud-gazing.

Eventually, Choza made it to the training ground, and they ran through a few warm-up drills, but none of their minds seemed to be invested in the training. After a few lazy attempts at a formation, they returned back to their seats in the grass.

Inoichi's head was beginning to pound as the minutes crept by. The sun slipped from its place just above the edge of the forest to a position higher in the sky, burning down on them in full force. Inoichi tried to ignore the tingling sensation that crawled across his skin, not sure if it was a product of the sun's burning rays or simply his nerves manifesting themselves psychosomatically.

It was after about an hour that he first noticed the man with the white hair walk by. His gait was nonchalant – almost too casual, Inoichi noted with suspicion.

Inoichi sprang to his feet and, noticing the strange change in his behavior, Choza followed suit. It took a little more prompting to get Nara up off the grass, but when Inoichi quietly remarked on the man as he walked by for the second time, the dark-haired boy was up in an instant.

There were two possibilities that Inoichi could see: the first was that this strange man was some kind of invader. If that were true, then training, rather than sitting idle, was the best thing they could do. The second option, however, was the one that Inoichi suspected was probably the correct one: the man was not simply observing them out of mere curiosity…

… it was part of their evaluation.

So they launched into drills again, and this time the execution was unhindered. Every move was precise. Inoichi caused a distraction while Nara used his Shadow Possession to subdue the "enemy", which in this case was an old training dummy, while Choza dealt the finishing blow. Almost every aspect of the formation was flawlessly executed. They had been practicing so frequently that every movement had become second nature. It was only when the man passed for the third time and stopped that their concentration was broken – Choza hesitated in his attack and his punch stopped midstream as he stopped to gape, then quickly turned back to his teammates and ushered them toward him.

"I know who he is!" Choza hissed. Nara glanced over his shoulder, but Choza motioned him back, shaking his head. "Don't look!"

"Who is he?" Inoichi prompted, more concerned with finding out the purpose of the man's observation than Choza's apparent trepidation.

Choza looked abashed for a moment. "Well, I'm not positive, but if not he looks a lot like—"

"Choza!" Nara snapped. "Whoin the hell _is_ he?"

"That's…" Choza's eyes went wide, and he had to swallow before he could finish the sentence. "That's _Katō Dan_."

While the man's face hadn't been familiar, the name was instantly recognizable. Inoichi was more than a little surprised. Dan Katō was one of the most revered shinobi in the Leaf Village. Why would he care about their training?

"Akimichi Choza?" At the sound of his name, Choza turned slowly around, his face going white as a sheet.

Dan approached smiling, waving casually at the three of them. All three regarded him with equal stupefaction.

"And you two are Nara Shikaku and Yamanaka Inoichi, right?"

Nara was the first to recover from his temporary stupor, a fact which irked Inoichi more than a little.

"That's us."

"I've been sent to find you three." Dan explained, smiling benignly, though Inoichi sensed more behind that smile than he was fully conveying. "It's concerning your teacher."

Instantly, Inoichi recognized that something was wrong. The fact that he was here, that he had come to talk about their teacher… the whole thing reeked of something suspicious.

"What about him?" Nara asked, but the question garnered no response from Dan, who was, Inoichi determined after a few moments of studying him, practically impossible to read.

"I think this would best be discussed with the Hokage present, actually. A meeting has been arranged for this morning. If you all would accompany me?"

If Inoichi hadn't been suspicious before, he certainly was now. The _Hokage_ was involved? That could only mean one thing…

Exchanging glances of uncertainty, the three followed Dan away from the training ground, shuffling along with hands in their pockets. None of them were brave enough to speak, and when Dan tried to chat amiably with them, it only lapsed back into silence moments later. By the time they reached the Hokage's office, Inoichi's guts were twisted into knots that ran all the way up to the top of his chest; he was finding it slightly difficult to breathe. Rarely had he felt this out of control of his emotions.

When they got to the door, Dan held up a warning hand.

"Hold on just a moment, please."

He knocked and walked through the door, leaving it slightly ajar. Inoichi remained where he was, but the Nara boy crept toward the door, pressing his ear to the frame.

Snatches of conversation drifted through the crack in the door. Dan murmured something that sounded like a question, and then the Hokage responded gruffly. Dan's voice raised slightly, and something made a thud, like a hand falling on a desk. The name "Omaeda" could be heard clearly, and the Hokage didn't sound happy about it.

Minutes passed, and the same strains seemed to repeat over and over. Occasionally, the argument –as that was what it appeared to be—was broken by a third voice, insistent and calming, but that voice appeared to be overruled on both counts, and was quickly lost in the stream of conversation. The knots in Inoichi's stomach now appeared to be permanent fixtures. Sweat beaded on his brow, and he could feel his control beginning to slip away.

What if this was it? What if they had lost their chance, because Omaeda refused to train them or because he had gone off and gotten himself killed? That was the impression that Inoichi had gotten, and it was only confirmed by the increasingly loud argument coming from the other side of the door.

They didn't deserve this, he thought angrily. They had worked so hard, trained so diligently, and for what? To be rejected because they didn't have a teacher? It simply wasn't right, and something had to be done.

Recalling it later, Inoichi couldn't be sure what it was that possessed him to do what he did. By all means, it was foolhardy and reckless, and completely outside of his normally rational frame of mind, but the opportunity had been too close, and he wasn't about to lose it.

His hands formed the seals faster than his brain could send the signal to stop them, and by the time he hit the final seal, it was too late to take back. For an instant, everything blurred, and he seemed to be zooming through a field of color and light. Then, suddenly, it was as though he had hit an invisible wall, and he had to steady himself against the desk.

The desk… but there hadn't been a desk there before. And this hand… He tried to move it, then realized he wasn't controlling it, and that it wasn't even his.

"Son?" A familiar gruff voice asked with concern, but it was much closer than he last remembered. A stern face swam in his vision.

"I'm… I'm fine, I think." A voice echoed cavernously through his head… but it _wasn't _his head.

Inoichi-that-wasn't-Inoichi put a hand to his temple. "Kami… I feel like someone just beat me over the head with a shuriken."

The consciousness-that-was-Inoichi panicked. He felt as though he was wandering through a vast empty space, but at the same time, it was like swimming through mud. He had never experienced anything like it, though he had used the technique to a small extent before. But this…

He gasped for air, but it wasn't his mouth, wasn't his lungs, wasn't his chest spasming like a person drowning.

"Tobirama-san?" Another familiar voice shouted, clearly concerned. This one was accompanied by a young face, with bright, intelligent eyes.

For a moment, it seemed as though Inoichi was shoved aside, and a different presence surfaced.

"There's someone _in_ my head." The voice-that-was-his-but-wasn't-his shouted, and he reached for the desk, barely keeping his balance.

From outside, a loud thump rang out. Three heads –or was it four? Inoichi couldn't tell whether he was one person or two—turned to gaze at the door, and a rush of footsteps sounded as they ran to the hallway.

There, two boys crouched over a limp body. Blonde hair was matted to the sweat-covered brow, and the body on the floor didn't appear to be breathing.

Inside someone else's head, Inoichi panicked. It was like fighting at vines as he struggled to get away, but everywhere he turned, he was confined by invisible barriers.

The stern face turned back to regard him.

"Have you isolated the boy?"

Inoichi tried to scream, but he had lost all control of any functions of speech.

"I think so." The voice-that-was-and-wasn't-his replied.

Strange hands folded into a seal, and Inoichi's body—if he even had one anymore—seemed to expand and collapse all at once.

In an instant, light consumed him once again.

* * *

><p><em>AN: _Opal Redverne _requested more of Inoichi working with his ability, so I tried to incorporate that into this chapter. Thanks for the suggestion!_

_Also, if anyone has any confusion from last chapter (or this chapter) about who Tobirama is and how he fits into this story, feel free to ask. Sorry if I didn't make that entirely clear, but it will become clear in due time, trust me. _

_On a random note, the recent episodes of Shippuden made me really happy. I just love team Ino-Shika-Cho, either generation. They have such an amazingly balanced team. And, if you pay really close attention to those episodes (or the chapters in the manga that they're based off of) you might figure out some of where I'm going with the training of Inoichi, Shikaku and Choza. :)_

_As always, thanks for reading! _

_- Senka Hitomi_


	8. Chapter 8

"…training is _essential_ if he's going…"

"…discussed this. As, the Hokage, I do not…"

"I've told you, I'm willing to try to…"

"… not your decision!"

"Too bad, old man."

* * *

><p>Inoichi could hear voices, ones that floated in and out of his head like gusts of air. Sometimes, he could swear that it was his own mouth speaking the words, but most of the time they were distant, so distant, and he was growing colder…<p>

It was night when he woke, and the lack of light was what made him realize that he finally _was_, in fact,awake. He blinked, trying to adjust his eyes to the semi-darkness, but they wouldn't focus well, and trying to will them into submission only made his head swim sickeningly.

After a few moments of painful stillness, he was finally able to make out a few shapes – a chair next to the bed, currently unoccupied, a basket filled with something sitting on the window sill, and a small collection of what looked to be cards that were littered across a surface on the opposite side of the room.

He was in a hospital, he realized, and though he couldn't recall why, he knew that it must have something to do with this insistent pounding in his head, the one that was only broken by occasional moments of fuzzy incomprehension. The pain was unceasing, and made it very difficult to concentrate on the present, much less any events of the past.

The only vague clue was a strange sensation when he tried to lift or flex his limbs. He knew intuitively that the disconnection had something to do with the reason he was here, but the memories were grainy at best.

Wave after wave of pain rolled and crested, and finally he just rolled over onto his side, curling into himself, as though that would keep the ache at bay.

After a while, a medic came in to check on him, quietly encouraging him to uncurl himself and look at her. Her voice was calming, but the pain held too much sway and he just barely summoned the effort to shake his head quietly, refusing to move. Eventually, the nurse gave up with a quiet sigh, telling him that she was going to get a sedative. He didn't protest, and she must have taken that as affirmation, because she left. Moments later, she returned – there was a cold, piercing sensation in his lower arm, and then he fell back into restless dreams.

* * *

><p>"So he's planning to take over their training?"<p>

"I tried to dissuade him, but he won't listen to me, regardless of the authority I have."

"It will be dangerous… this was just a freak accident, but it could get much worse. He knows that?"

"He knows what happened to the boy's father."

A quiet sigh, and a creak, like someone shifting in a chair.

"But he's willing?"

"If anything, the incident made him more determined. I told him I didn't want him teaching at all, but—"

"He _does _need the training. You can't shelter him forever. He may be… well, you as well as I, better probably, how he is. He's impetuous and foolhardy, but he's determined, and he _is_a Jounin. He's made it this far, hasn't he? If anything, this will keep him closer to home."

"Biwako will be happy about that."

A laugh. "I'm sure she will."

"It's simply… our _oldest son_. The worry of a father outweighs much, even if I am the Hokage."

Quieter. "I know."

"And you're sure you can't?

"I wish I could." A pause. "They have so much potential. I've seen it, recognized it in a way that Omaeda didn't… he sees it too, you know. Maybe this is what they need. What he needs."

"Perhaps."

* * *

><p>"Inoichi-san?" A quiet voice broke the silence, and Inoichi realized he should open his eyes, but the last time he'd tried, it had been so painful. For a while, as he became increasingly aware of his surroundings, he kept his eyes clenched tightly shut, just in case he relapsed into the pounding pain.<p>

"I guess you can't really hear me. But I just wanted to let you know that we're all rooting for you to recover." The voice was Choza's, Inoichi realized slowly. It was much closer than he had first realized. He must have been sitting in the chair Inoichi had glimpsed the first time he'd woken. He was talking as though Inoichi were still comatose. It made Inoichi wonder how long he had really been unconscious. "I tried to convince Shikaku to come again, but… you know how he is. I think he's worried too, though he won't admit it.

"Our team isn't the same without you!" He added brightly, but there was an element of sadness in it too.

"A lot of people from the Academy have come to visit, too. Well…" He hesitated. "Some… A girl even! She said she wasn't here to see you – that she was bringing flowers to another person, and she couldn't find their room, so she stopped to see you instead, but I think she was lying. Maybe she was embarrassed about coming to see you? But she is pretty." Inoichi could hear the smile in his voice. "I thought it was kind of funny that Atsuko would come. At the Academy, she always seemed…"

"_Atsuko_?" Inoichi finally summoned up enough energy to croak out a word, cracking one eyelid open to regard Choza.

The boy went sheet white, staggering backwards in his chair, which resulted in a terrifying moment of tenuous balance before he regained control.

"You're… you're awake!" For a few moments, Choza could only blink in confusion, until it dawned on him that his teammate was not only awake, but responding to his chatter, and that he should perhaps call a medic. He ran to the door and stuck his head out, bellowing down the hallway for assistance before rushing back to the bedside. He still looked pale, but the grin on his face was like a child receiving a present – the relief in his expression was plain.

"I had no idea you were listening! You're awake! How much of that did you actually hear? I can't believe you're awake! It's been almost a week, and we were starting to think… well…" He shook his head, disbelieving. "You're awake."

An attempt at a quiet chuckle that turned into a cough rasped out of Inoichi's mouth. He was saved from attempting to respond to Choza's inquiries by the entrance of a medic, who, seeing him sitting up and not doubled over in pain, immediately checked his vitals and then ran out to find the head medic who had been tending to him.

The next few hours were a jumble of tests and amazed reactions; people filtered in and out of the room faster than Inoichi could identify them and every new medic they brought in pronounced him, much to the surprise of everyone else in the room, with a clean bill of health, aside from some residual dizziness upon standing that was mostly a result of dehydration and weakness.

They finally came to the consensus that he would be kept overnight for observation, but otherwise, he could start moving around by the next day. By the time he woke the next morning, Inoichi was ready to wander the hospital gardens a little, with Choza there to help him.

The idea made Inoichi a little uncomfortable. He wasn't sure he wanted to be so dependent on someone else, but the medics insisted, so he allowed it, at least for a little while.

It was only when they stepped out of the hospital doors that Inoichi realized something else had occurred, something he wouldn't have noticed until he was out in the open air. When the breeze swept by, he could feel it clearly in the back of his head. He put his hand to the spot, and was surprised to find that a small circle of hair at the center of his skull was completely gone.

Trying not to panic, he glanced over at Choza, who was unsuccessfully trying to stifle a laugh. It came bursting out moments later, sounding like a hiccough as he tried to keep it in.

"What… what happened?" Inoichi asked quietly, his voice as level as he could muster.

"I'm sorry." Choza muttered through guffaws. "I shouldn't laugh, but the look on your face…"

He cleared his throat and schooled his expression, belying a little fear at Inoichi's reaction to his outburst.

"I'm not sure how much you remember… but you fell outside the Hokage's office. Fell pretty hard, actually," he added with a grimace, shuddering as he recalled the memory. A fleeting image of a wan body sprawled in a hallway flashed across Inoichi's mind, but it was gone in an instant.

"They thought you might have permanently injured your head. There was blood." He swallowed. "A _lot _of blood. It was just a gash, not deep, but they had to sew it up. To do it, they kind of had to…" He equivocated, motioning to the back of Inoichi's head. "… shave it."

Inoichi fingered the site of the wound, feeling a ridge of skin drawn taut where it hadn't been previously.

"Will it…" He paused, unsure how to continue. Any remark at this point would make him sound vain, but… "Will it grow back?"

Choza tried to keep his face blank, but the slightest grimace set into his mouth, and Inoichi knew the answer.

"So it won't." He answered his own question matter-of-factly.

"Maybe it will!" Choza offered hopefully. "They said it was only an eighty percent chance that it wouldn't grow back! And it's only the scarred region!"

Inoichi touched the ridge again, his hand sliding up to ruffle the hair near the empty space. It was short, making the bald spot clearly visible.

_Only thirteen_ _and I'm already dealing with balding._ He thought wryly. Something would have to be done about it, but he didn't know what.

"Maybe if you grow it out, you'll be able to hide it?" Choza suggested.

Inoichi glanced over at him. The Akimichi's hair was quite long, a bushy mane that sprang from his head in all directions. The idea of keeping his hair that long was not particularly appealing to him, but considering the situation…

"Yo."

Both heads turned at the sound of the voice. A familiar figure stood in the shadow of the back doorway that led out of the hospital. His arms were crossed over his chest, and he was trying to maintain an expression of thorough disinterest.

"Nurses told me I would find you here." Nara shrugged. He glanced over at Choza and down at his feet, inspecting the ground and then the doorsill. He refused to meet Inoichi's eye.

Choza grinned unabashedly, but Inoichi was more wary. It was quite uncharacteristic of the Nara to seek to visit him, even if they were teammates – rather begrudgingly, at that.

"You came." It came out as a statement, but there was the slightest trace of a question in it.

"Heard you woke up. Figured I should come and make sure you weren't a complete loss to our team." He responded tersely.

Choza watched the two boys, neither one looking at the other, both in postures of defense. He heaved a sigh.

"Shikaku-san—"

"Inoichi-san?" The gentle voice of the nurse cut off Choza's statement, and all three of them turned to look at her as she came down the hallway. She was a petite young woman, with bright, smiling eyes and shoulder-length honey blond hair. She bowed her head slightly to acknowledge the visitors before turning back to speak to Inoichi again.

"You've been asked to return to your room. Your visitors as well. The Hokage wants to speak with you."

* * *

><p>"<em>He would be so proud." Tsunade said gently, almost as though to herself, and it took Inoichi a moment to realize that the statement had been directed at him.<em>

"_Hmm?"_

"_Your teacher." Her smile was a little wistful. "To see the new generation of Ino-Shika-Cho, to see how you passed on your wisdom to them."_

_Inoichi snorted softly. "I don't know about _wisdom_..."_

"_But he'd be proud nonetheless."_

_Inoichi had to agree with that. "Ino adored him when she was a baby. He didn't have a lot of spare time by the time she came along – not that he ever did – but he did make a special effort to come see us after she was born. You'd have thought he was the grandfather."_

_He chuckled, picturing the grinning man, with his flyaway hair that never had been able to be completely tamed._

"_I think he'd be proud too."_

* * *

><p>The Hokage regarded them seriously. Inoichi was utterly calm, but the Nara boy looked as though he'd woken on the wrong side of the bed and Choza was little more than a bundle of nerves, champing at the bit to hear what the Hokage had to say.<p>

He turned first to address Inoichi.

"Based on the matter of your recent…" He grimaced, searching for the word. "…_experiment_, an incident which we will discuss at length on a later date, the council has considered the matter of your training. As you have no doubt gleaned, your originally assigned teacher was killed in the line of duty. Often in cases like this, it is difficult to find another Jounin with the expertise and time to fulfill such a role, but given the nature of your ability and the effort you have put into developing your skills as a team, Katō Dan took an interest in your team."

Choza gasped audibly, and even Inoichi was slightly surprised. While it had been Dan that came to retrieve them previously, he had never guessed that he was planning to _teach_them. He was one of the most elite shinobi in the village. For him to take interest in _their _genin team…

But the Hokage held up a warning hand. "Unfortunately, though Kato-san would like to do all he can to help your team, he is needed in the field and cannot be spared to teach your team. However…"

The Hokage's expression changed just barely – Inoichi wasn't sure that either of his teammates was aware of it, but it was noticeable to him, and a pang of recognition shot through him, though he wasn't sure why. It was as though he had seen this conversation already played out, though he hadn't been here.

"However," he continued, "another Jounin, being informed by Katō-san of your progress, has agreed to undertake the instruction of your team."

The Hokage looked toward the door.

"You may enter now."

He turned back to the three of them, his discerning eyes probing their faces. "Boys, meet your new teacher…"

The figure that came through the door surveyed them with dancing eyes and a boyish grin.

"… Sarutobi Tobirama."

* * *

><p><em>AN: Okay, so you all probably saw that one coming. My brilliant readers. :) And because I love you all (and this story) so very much, I'm going to do my best to start making regular, weekly updates to this. So every Friday, I am going to do my very best to publish a chapter. You have my word on that, and should I fail, feel free to heckle and poke and prod me into getting it done on time!_

_Besides all that, I should have lots of time to sit down in the near future, because I definitely twisted my ankle today. Ouch._

_Also, anyone ever experience the phenomenon of meeting a new person who, despite the fact that you've only just met them, seems like a person you've known for much longer than that? If not, it's quite odd, I can assure you._

_Anyway, enough of my banal musings. Thank you for reading. For those of you that review, your reviews make my day, so keep them coming! I love to hear your thoughts!_

_- Senka_

_Oh! Also, almost forgot! Sorry, this is a really long author's note, but I have a sketch of Tobirama that I've done recently! If you'd like to see it, I'd be willing to upload it to my deviantArt account, but I'd like to know if there's any interest first. If so, let me know in your reviews! Thanks!_


	9. Chapter 9

The initial shock was slow to wear off. Choza looked plainly flabbergasted and the Nara boy quirked a skeptical eyebrow. Even Inoichi displayed a little puzzlement.

Tobirama Sarutobi was of average height – which was not strange, if the stature of the Hokage was any indicator – and had dark hair that stuck up haphazardly in spikes across his scalp, making it look as though he had just been struck by lightning. His dark eyes shone as he looked at his three new charges.

He resembled, Inoichi thought, a child that had just been given the most wonderful gift imaginable.

"So you are the three I'll be teaching, then?" He smiled at each of them in turn, but his grin faltered slightly when his gaze met Inoichi's. There was just a flicker – of suspicion or a question, perhaps – that passed across his face for a moment, but then it was gone just as quickly.

"I don't want to take up too much of your time now." He explained. He nodded specifically to Inoichi. "I know you're recovering, but I wanted to meet you all before we start training."

He looked to his father, as if for an affirmation of something, and the Hokage shrugged equivocally. Their new sensei turned back to them.

"I expect all three of you at practice a week from today. And I may be a first-time instructor, but don't expect me to go easy on you. You all are going to train harder than you ever imagined."

The statement itself was daunting, but it was said with so much joviality that Inoichi found it hard to take it seriously. As the Hokage began an explanation of the conditions surrounding the death of their previously appointed sensei, Inoichi found himself more focused on the image before him. While he had seen both the Hokage and his son on separate occasions, this was the first time he could recall ever having seen them side-by-side. The physical resemblance was uncanny: both men had the same strong features, with a dark complexion and distinguished bone structure. The difference, however, came in the examination of their demeanors. Where the Hokage's face was marked with lines of worry, the only lines in the face of his son were smile lines. His eyes crinkled just slightly at the edges, and dimples framed the corners of his mouth, a trait apparently stemming from his mother, as the Hokage had none. The Hokage's posture was constantly tensed, as though any moment he could jump into battle. In contrast, his son's attitude was almost nonchalant, certainly more relaxed than most Jounin Inoichi had ever encountered.

"…we regret that this has transpired in such a manner, but I hope you all understand." The Hokage concluded, and Inoichi took his cue from the others – he had only been half listening – and nodded his head.

"Well." The younger Sarutobi grinned at them once more and waved as he followed the Hokage out the door. "Best wishes on your recovery, and I'll see you next week!"

The door shut with a clang, and Inoichi watched as two gazes turned to meet his own.

"What…"

"I…"

"We have a new teacher." Inoichi managed to be the first one of them to get out a coherent sentence.

"The Hokage's _son_." Choza emphasized. "What do you think that means?"

There was silence for a moment. For once in his life, Inoichi wasn't sure that he did know what it meant. Obviously, there had been a need, and there were only so many options, but that such an important person would be assigned to train their genin team? It was… practically unfathomable.

"Why does it matter?"

The Nara's question brought all of them out of their reveries. Choza looked at him questioningly.

"How can you say that?"

"Why does it matter _why_ he's our teacher? Fact is, he _is. _We could sit here trying to figure out why for weeks, but he's our teacher either way. Instead of worrying about why that's the case, we should be preparing ourselves to use it to our best advantage." Nara stood to pace the room, which, as small as it was, resulted in him taking about five steps before being forced to turn back.

"You make it sound like this is all some kind of strategy." Choza said.

There was almost a hint of accusation in his tone. The slight anger was strange coming from him, and Inoichi made a mental note of it. While he didn't exactly see their training as a strategy in particular, he didn't have a problem with Nara seeing it that way, so why did Choza?

"Of course it is." Nara said drily, making a flippant gesture that clearly indicated that the question was totally irrelevant and obvious. "We just need to figure it out."

His gaze went vacant for a moment, and then brightened, as if some brilliant idea had just surfaced. He looked at his teammates, assessing, calculating. That look was the same one he'd recognized in his face one of the first times they'd met, and it was just as daunting now. Despite himself, Inoichi felt a cold sweat break out across his forehead.

"I'll see you all later. I have some thinking to do."

The Nara boy was out the door and down the hall before they could so much as utter "goodbye".

Choza shook his head, staring at the spot where he had just been standing.

"I can't believe him." He muttered quietly.

Inoichi entertained the thought of inquiring further into just what Choza meant by that, but he decided that if the boy wanted to elaborate, he would do so.

In the hubbub of the Hokage's announcement, Inoichi had failed to notice the arrival of a stack of papers on his bedside table since the last time he had been in the room. Now, he leafed through them, slowly coming to the conclusion that what he was handling were his release forms.

Apparently, Choza had been more observant. "So they're finally letting you go?"

Inoichi nodded, distractedly passing the papers on as he searched for a pen.

"Says you need someone to monitor that you make it home without relapsing." Choza noted, setting the papers back on the table. "Is your mom coming to get you?"

The question gave Inoichi pause. At first, he merely considered it rationally. Had she been here? He didn't know.

Then, the full impact of the statement hit him.

It was as though someone had flooded his senses, and his mind burst into complete panic. How could he have forgotten? He had been here for days – weeks? And Mother… who had been caring for her? Had they notified her of what happened? Surely, _surely_… but even then, how could he have been so irresponsible as to think that she wouldn't have one of her fits when she realized the eerie parallels to—

"Inoichi-san?"

Inoichi hadn't realized he was outwardly displaying his panic until Choza's alarmed inquiry broke through his consciousness. It occurred to him very suddenly that he was on the verge of hyperventilating, and that he _had _to calm down if they were ever to release him. And now that he'd realized his grave error, his release was more important than ever.

"Inoichi-san? Are you okay? Do I need to call a medic?"

That was the _last _thing he needed. Inoichi shook his head emphatically, taking deep, calming breaths.

"No, I'm fine."

"Are you sure?" Choza stood tentatively, his arm stretched toward the door handle.

"I'm sure." Inoichi said, and he was immensely relieved to find that his breathing was settling back into its normal, rhythmic flow. "I just forgot something, that's all. Has she been here?"

"Who, your mom?" Choza settled back into his chair, though not without an extra anxious glance at the door. "Mhm. I only saw her here once, briefly, but every time I signed your visitors' chart, it looked like she had been here at least once a day."

The realization came to him slowly, but Choza was no idiot. His expression turned from one of questioning to one of concern.

"Why, is something wrong?"

Inwardly cursing, Inoichi shook his head again. "Just wondering. And no, she won't be coming to get me, I don't think. Are you certain the form said it was absolutely necessary?"

"Positive." Choza held up the paper, pointing out the line. "Number one condition of your release."

Inoichi frowned at the sentence. Couldn't they just leave well enough alone?

"Do you want me to go with you?"

Inoichi froze. Choza would have to escort him all the way to his home? The idea of bringing someone to his house so foreign that it took him several minutes to process it, let alone make a decision about what was to be done. At the academy, when group projects were assigned, he had never suggested his house as a venue and he'd certainly never brought any friends home. He was loathe to let even his teammate see. But, if he had a choice between staying here and going home, he had to make the decision that was going to allow him to get back to his home – and his mother – sooner.

"Alright."

* * *

><p>Inoichi found that the days in the hospital had weakened him considerably. Even the walk to his house, which, while a fair distance from the hospital, wasn't strenuous, caused him to breathe heavily, and by the end, he found himself leaning on Choza for support. Choza didn't seem to mind, taking it all in stride, and he chattered amiably as they walked. He skillfully avoided questions about Inoichi's home life. Apparently, Inoichi's aversion to the subject was now obvious.<p>

As the house came into view, a cold lump formed in the pit of Inoichi's stomach, sloshing and thudding with each heavy step. There was no telling what lay on the other side of that door, and now…

Abruptly, they came to a halt. Inoichi, surprised, glanced over at Choza, who now stood stock still, gazing at the house with an inscrutable expression.

"If you want… you can go the rest of the way on your own. I understand."

Inoichi fumbled to explain, to protest, but it only came out as insignificant mumbles. Choza just lifted Inoichi's arm from his shoulders and made sure he was well balanced before he stepped away.

"You don't have to explain or apologize." His gaze was distant as he spoke, his voice soft. "Families are hard, and I understand if you don't trust enough yet to share. Friends need to support one another, but they also need to respect one another."

He turned to Inoichi and smiled; it was a smile of comprehension.

"I hope it goes well. Don't hesitate to ask if you or your mom need anything, okay?"

Inoichi could only nod, dumbfounded. Choza waved as he walked away, standing in place for a few extra moments, if only to make sure Inoichi made it to the door safely. As soon as Inoichi had grasped the handle, Choza turned away, not looking back.

Inoichi blinked at the handle, deciding he would have to file the conversation away for later analysis. There was much in it that he was not sure he fully comprehended, but now, he needed to focus on what was beyond the door. Whatever it was, he had to be prepared to face it.

And, strangely, something in the words of his teammate had given him strength to turn the handle.

It was pitch-black and silent inside, and Inoichi's stomach turned a little. It could mean any number of things, but above all, it meant that she didn't know he was coming home today. He took a step forward, listening intently.

The room flooded with light, and Inoichi had to blink to readjust, his heart racing at the sudden change.

_What is going on?_

The kitchen was warm and clean. Steam rose from a casserole dish in the center of the table, surrounded by neatly arranged plates and utensils. A bouquet of fresh cut flowers with a 'Welcome Home' card attached to the vase acted as the centerpiece. From the oven, he began to detect the faint scent of something sweet. And in the midst of it all, with the most wonderful, beautiful, dazzling smile he had ever seen, stood his mother. She held out her arms, tears welling in the corners of her eyes.

"Welcome home, my precious boy."

Relief washed over him with such overwhelming force that he was barely able to keep himself standing long enough to make it to the kitchen. He rushed to her arms like a child, and the tears came faster than he could keep them at bay.

For once, he couldn't find the motivation to make himself stop.

* * *

><p><em>AN: So... I'm a slacker. Yeah, I know it is not by any stretch of the imagination Friday. I'm so sorry. I don't even have a good excuse, but I worked really hard on this chapter to make sure it was done today for you all, and I hope you all aren't too mad about the delay. I've read all of your reviews and am so grateful for the wonderful support and interest you've shown. _

_So, on to the issue of your consolation prize for me being an awful keeper of deadlines! :D Since I didn't meet my Friday deadline, I did a little something extra: the picture of Tobirama is up on my dA account! I'm so glad you all are interested in seeing what he looks like in my head (sort of) so I finally convinced my insubordinate scanner to work and uploaded the sketch! For those that asked, my dA account is under the same name as this account, just without the space. I'd love to hear what you think about it! Also, I have another picture in the works: UnforeseenUndeniable mentioned that a picture of Tobirama with little brother Asuma would be great, and I'm inclined to agree. So expect that in the near future. :)_

_Anyway, thank you so much for your patience, and I will try to be more prompt next week! _


	10. Chapter 10

_Disclaimer: Naruto is the property of Masashi Kishimoto._

* * *

><p><em>Inoichi was fairly certain he'd covered the entire grounds looking, and still his elusive daughter was nowhere to be found. As he began his second survey of the area, he found himself hoping that she hadn't suddenly gotten cold feet and decided this was all just an enormous mistake. Admittedly, the hope was something of a selfish one – he knew Shikaku would never let him live it down if this wedding fell through.<em>

_Seemingly drawn by his thoughts, a familiar drawl called out after him._

"_Still searching?"_

_Inoichi gave a noncommittal shrug, hesitant to make the admission._

_Shikaku frowned as he approached, crossing his arms over his torso as he came to stand beside Inoichi. _

"_You don't think she—"_

"_No." Inoichi responded fiercely. "She's a Yamanaka. We don't back down on our promises."_

_Shikaku gave him a wry smile. "Used to know a kid who wouldn't shut up about that very thing."_

"_Sounds like he was a prodigy."_

"_Something like that. The way I remember it, he was more like a prodigious pain in the a—"_

"_Inoichi!" The commanding voice of Yoshino Nara cut off the conversation, and both men turned as she approached, looking as formidable as ever. "Your daughter wants to see you."_

* * *

><p>As Inoichi found himself sprawled out on the grass of the training field for the third time that afternoon, it occurred to him that he had vastly miscalculated something.<p>

The week between meeting Tobirama Sarutobi and their first training session had been decidedly short. In the chaos and excitement of returning home, Inoichi had almost forgotten completely about the meeting. Thus, earlier that morning, he'd found himself jogging to the training field, out of shape from his weeks in the hospital and, by the time he actually reached his destination, completely out of breath.

Much to his chagrin, both of his teammates and their new sensei had already arrived. Nara was sprawled out on the grass in his typical fashion – he barely batted an eyelash as Inoichi approached. Choza offered him a tentative smile, but there was also a question in his eyes – why today, of all days, was he late? Inoichi couldn't hold his gaze, because he didn't have a good answer.

Their new teacher merely looked at him with interest, a lopsided smile slowly lighting his youthful face.

"Glad you decided to join us, Inoichi-san! We were beginning to think you were giving up on us." He chuckled, winking at the other two boys conspiratorially.

The gesture irked Inoichi. He hadn't been _that_ late, and already he'd become the butt of a joke. Tobirama Sarutobi may have been the Hokage's son, but thus far, he wasn't inspiring much confidence as a teacher.

Inoichi frowned inwardly, but kept his objections to himself.

"Take a seat. Now," Sarutobi rubbed his hands together and considered the three of them. "Dan tells me that you've been working on team formations, which are a good start. I'll want to see them eventually, but today I want to test something different."

_Something different?_ Inoichi glanced over at his teammates, but they seemed to be unfazed. Choza sat rapt, watching their new sensei's every movement; Nara, in contrast, appeared to be as awake as he ever was. Apparently, Inoichi was alone in his concern. What evaluation could Sarutobi possibly want to make that didn't deal with their team formations? The whole purpose of placing Genin into teams was to train them for missions, where they would be forced to work with a variety of people, dependent upon the situation. Their ability to cooperate was paramount to their success, but he wanted to test something else?

"I want to get an idea of your individual aptitude." He continued. The statement drew a look of surprise from all three of his students.

"How?" The question came from Nara.

_Not so inattentive as I thought,_ Inoichi noted.

The answer to that question was the reason Inoichi was currently lying flat on his back. Choza hovered uncertainly over him, his concerned gaze more irritating that it was helpful.

"Inoichi-san?"

Inoichi sat up, rejecting his teammate's proffered hand. He couldn't bear to look Choza in the eye at this point, much less accept his help. A brief glance over to Sarutobi found him surveying the two of them with the same infuriating expression of curiosity he'd worn for the majority of their training session. Inoichi was beginning to loathe that look.

"I think that might be enough for today. We'll resume tomorrow, and I'll want to see some of your techniques next, Shikaku."

Not one of them said anything. Inoichi lifted himself gingerly to his feet, collecting himself as quickly as was possible and taking his leave. He brushed past Choza, who had recovered enough to begin a stumbling apology. He completely missed the way both Shikaku and their new teacher watched him as he stormed off, their questioning gazes following him all the way over the ridge until he was out of sight.

It was a warm afternoon, a true sign that spring was well on its way. Inoichi's head was racing; he knew it was not a good idea to go home when he was this worked up. His mother, who had been on alert ever since he returned home, would be immediately attuned to any strange changes in his behavior. Instead of risking upsetting her, he took the opportunity to walk through the village, hoping it would calm his nerves.

How dare he. How dare he _humiliate _Inoichi like that, when he knew he had just been out of the hospital, when he _knew_ he was out of shape. Just the thought of that smug grin rankled him, and made him more frustrated than he had been in a long time – the only thing even remotely comparable were his initial quarrels with Nara.

Something else about it made him angry too. It was not just that Sarutobi had singled him out as the subject of ridicule – the fact that he'd been knocked to the ground not once, but _three times_ by Choza was utterly absurd. Certainly, Choza was strong, but wasn't Inoichi the one who had graduated top of their class? Wasn't he the one who was supposed to be able to strategize and win, the one all the teachers had expected to do something great? Where was that when he was lying flat on his back, gasping for breath like a child pushed over on the playground?

More than anything, he was angry with himself.

"Yamanaka!" In his blind fury, Inoichi had failed to pay much attention to where he was going, allowing instinct to guide him. Consequently, he seemed to have ended up in the middle of the village marketplace, and, for some strange reason, someone was calling his name.

Across the street at the ramen stand, a young woman with long hair was waving him over, her blue eyes dancing with impatience.

Atsuko Himura was dangerous, and not just because she was the easily the prettiest kunoichi in their Genin class – she was also the one who had come closest to beating Inoichi's exam scores, and she was well known to be absolutely ruthless in her pursuit of a goal.

Inoichi hesitated before walking over to her, but her insistence piqued his entrance. Besides, Choza had mentioned that she had come to see him while he was in the hospital, and that, more than anything, was worth investigating.

She smiled as he crossed the road to meet her, and it stunned him for a moment. Inoichi had never been one to be distracted by girls, but there was no denying that her smile was dazzling. It only served to intrigue him further – in all the years that he'd known Atsuko, that smile had been directed at many people – Inoichi had never been one of them.

"Yamanaka." She pointed imperiously to the seat next to her. "Take a seat."

He did so cautiously. The intensity of her blue-eyed gaze was growing increasingly unnerving.

"So I heard you were in the hospital recently." The remark was delivered coolly, as though it were knowledge she'd just happened to come by. She stirred her ramen as she spoke to him, but her gaze never left his face, even for an instant.

Inoichi blinked at her. For a moment, he had no idea how to respond.

"You came to visit me."

Apparently, that had been the wrong thing to say. A blush sprang to her face instantly, and she gaped for a moment, her features warring between puzzlement and anger. She settled on a cool sort of feigned indifference.

"I was going to visit a friend. I just happened to stop by."

"That's what Choza told me." Inoichi thought it best not to try to contradict her story. He still wasn't sure what she wanted in the first place.

"Choza…" Atsuko put a slender finger to her cheek, tapping it in an exaggerated gesture of contemplation. "One of your new teammates, isn't he?"

Inoichi nodded.

"And that Nara boy…" Her exquisite eyes narrowed in concentration, and then snapped back to Inoichi, all business. The slightest hint of a smile curled at the corner of her lip. "And how is that going, Yamanaka?"

Inoichi surveyed her shrewdly. She had one arm propped casually against the counter, supporting her chin as she stared at him, the very image of nonchalance.

Too nonchalant, he decided.

"What do you want, Himura-san?"

She saw the accusation for what it was, and for an instant, she resembled a struck viper, ready to spring back at its assailant. But then she controlled herself again.

"I'm just… interested, Yamanaka." She gave a sigh. "Look, I know we didn't exactly get along at the Academy, but I recognize that you're… smart. Even brilliant, if Saki-sensei is to be believed."

"Therefore?" Inoichi prompted the question, but he wasn't waiting for her response. Even as she equivocated, Inoichi was mentally scanning his index of information on Himura. She was manipulative, which meant that he couldn't take anything she said at face value, but that didn't mean that what she said wasn't true. She was also intelligent, but she was, perhaps, not as discrete as she might believe.

Inoichi considered: who had Himura been placed with? She was the top kunoichi, which generally guaranteed placement with the top scoring rookie, but given his placement with Choza and Nara, that clearly was not the case. Therefore, the teachers had probably gone with the secondary placement strategy – a student from the middle of the range, and…

It all clicked into place.

"You're unhappy with your team, then."

Atsuko froze in the middle of whatever fumbling explanation she had been trying to concoct. Her mouth trembled and her eyes flickered with panic.

"W-wha—?"

"That's why you want to know, isn't it? Why you're suddenly so interested in my team and I, even though you've always hated me."

"I never hated you!" She snapped, but it didn't answer his question, and she was clearly fumbling to recover lost ground. Inoichi had seen straight through her motivations, and it had completely thrown her off guard.

Inoichi wasn't sure whether it was exhaustion or frustration that prompted him to continue. Either way, he took the ill-advised route and continued. "So what was your assignment? Let's see… lowest in the class would have been…"

"Shut up!" She shrieked, cutting him off. Her blue eyes narrowed into slits. "You have no idea. Stupid pretty boy with your head in the clouds… think you know everything. Well, you don't!"

People were beginning to stare, and the attention made Inoichi uncomfortable. He hadn't intended to provoke her – he merely disliked the farce of playing at being friends simply to exchange information. It was simpler for both of them if they acknowledged her motivations, rather than participating in this bizarre dance.

Her eyes wild, Atsuko slammed money down on the counter and darted out, not bothering to even say goodbye. Inoichi watched her go, his head aching slightly.

This had not been the way he'd intended to spend his afternoon.

* * *

><p>A trip to the training grounds proved equally useless. Inoichi ran through his taijutsu drills, trying to relieve a bit of pent-up frustration, but it only served to make him tired and sore, exacerbating the bruises that were already forming from earlier today. Eventually, he just gave up and sprawled out on the grass, too tired to care about the way it made his skin itch. His eyes had almost closed when two people passed by on the path to his left, and a familiar voice rang out.<p>

"See you later!" The bright tone was instantly recognizable. Despite his normal reticence, Inoichi shot up, scanning around for the source of the voice.

"Hua-san?" he called out hoarsely.

"Yamanaka!" The exclamation was closely followed by the appearance of a widely grinning face. Hua Zhang jogged to Inoichi's side, plopping himself unceremoniously in the grass beside him. He held up a hand in greeting.

"Fancy meetin' you here!" He looked around the empty training field, obviously confused when he realized that Inoichi was the only one there. "What are you doing here, anyway?"

"I had been training, but I stopped." Inoichi shrugged, leaving the explanation at that. While he had prompted the conversation, he wasn't sure that he was willing to divulge the full details of his abysmal day just yet.

It didn't appear to faze Hua. "My team just got finished. Our sensei got frustrated this morning, but we showed him this afternoon. Thought he was gonna turn purple he was so mad at us. Proud, too, by the time we were done."

Inoichi smiled vaguely at the image. He vaguely recalled that Hua's sensei was a burly hulk of a man, extraordinarily impatient, but also quite the enthusiastic teacher. If Hua was any indication, he was well-liked by his students.

As Hua chattered on about the training they'd been working on, Inoichi found himself wondering what had possessed him to call out to the other boy in the first place. Sure, they'd spoken amicably a few times, but it wasn't as though they were close friends. Inoichi didn't _have _close friends. So what was this strange need for attention, and where did it come from?

And Inoichi had to admit that, despite all his misgivings, he did like Hua. Though he had been initially skeptical, Inoichi found himself coming to like Hua's enthusiastic acceptance. From their few conversations, Inoichi had discovered that the other boy possessed a unique talent: Hua had an uncanny knack for knowing when to leave a subject well enough alone. He seemed to instinctively veer around subjects that didn't bear talking about, not feeling the necessity to pry into others' lives. Inoichi, as a private person, admired that quality.

While they were on the subject of team training, however, Inoichi was also curious. While Atsuko's outburst this afternoon was highly irrational, Inoichi too had felt the frustration of a team that wasn't meshing.

"How is your training going?"

The statement came out casually, and, fortunately, Hua didn't seem to notice it was a loaded question.

"Overall? Eh." He shrugged. "We struggled at first. Yoshi's really bossy, and she didn't like us too much, but Haru and I brought her around. We're really starting to click, the three of us. 'Course, they still tease me mercilessly for my accent, but Saito-sensei says he's the best group we've ever trained, when we're not being stupid."

Hua grinned foolishly, rubbing at the back of his neck. "It's pretty cool, ya know. Not feeling like so much of an outcast anymore.

"Hey!" He stopped suddenly, a light coming into his eyes as an idea hit him. "I'm supposed to meeting the two of them for dinner tonight at Ichiraku, but I'm sure they wouldn't mind if I brought along an extra guest. You wanna come, Yamanaka?"

Inoichi really considered the offer for a moment. It might be nice, for a change, just to have dinner with his peers, exchange information, maybe learn a little more about why Hua's team was meshing so well and others weren't. Ramen wasn't exactly his favorite, but it was tolerable, and—

No. No, he couldn't do that, he realized. Mother would be expecting him, and she had been especially worried lately, since his injury. He couldn't afford to upset her schedule, couldn't afford not to be there if…

He shook his head succinctly. "I appreciate the offer, but I am afraid I cannot."

"Aww," Hua grimaced as he stood up, and Inoichi noticed twinges of genuine disappointment in his expression. "Maybe next time then!"

He waved as he began to walk away, but then, thinking again, turned around.

He fixed Inoichi with a brown-eyed stare, smiling just slightly.

"'S good talkin' to you, Yamanaka."

"You too."

And, surprisingly, it wasn't a lie.

* * *

><p><em>AN: Hello all! So, I know how long it's been since I've updated, but I had some major writer's block regarding this story. Rest assured, however, that I think I've worked through that. I have some really amazing ideas for Path of the Fire. My current plan is to start writing several chapters ahead before I publish them, which is going to be difficult, because I'm very impatient and like to publish things as soon as they're written and edited, but I'm going to try. _

_On a different, but slightly related note, despite the events of chapter 613 of the manga, I'm going to continue writing. It saddened me greatly, but I still feel that this is a story worth telling, and I don't think the ideas would leave me alone even if I did stop writing. _

_Thank you so much to _UnforeseenUndeniable, Dark Haired California Girl, sad little monkey, naku12_ and _little-hina_ for your reviews! I appreciate each and every one of them, and I especially enjoyed the lovely comments about my sketch! I can't thank you enough!_

_Also, to answer _Dark Haired California Girl'_s question, Asuma is approximately three years old at the time of this story. (Quite a bit of math went into my writing. I actually have a whole chart to calculate out the proper ages for all the characters. ^_^)_

_Happy New Year everyone! Hope 2012 was a good year for you, and that 2013 is even better. Leave me a review, if you'd be so kind!_

_- Senka Hitomi_


	11. Chapter 11

Tobirama waved goodbye to Choza, watching thoughtfully as the last of his students finally departed for home. The Yamanaka boy had left as soon as the training session ended, storming off in a fit of silent rage. The Nara boy had not remained long after him, saying his goodbyes before shuffling gracelessly away with a decided lack of concern. Only Choza had remained, waiting, nervously chewing his lip.

"They mean well." Choza had explained simply. His smile was apologetic as he glanced over his shoulder at the path his teammates had taken. "Inoichi, he just…"

Tobirama had laid a hand on his student's shoulder, silencing him.

"He's mad at me. I know. I shouldn't have provoked him on his first day." He smiled gently, and the gesture seemed to reassure Choza.

"He's really pretty nice, once you get to know him. He's just… prickly."

Tobirama hadn't been able to contain his laughter at that. Prickly was certainly an apt description for the brooding blond.

Now, finally alone as he walked back to his apartment, Tobirama had to assess what he had gleaned from today's training. Dan had filled him in on a few things before he began: their teamwork appeared to have improved markedly over the past few weeks, but based on what Tobirama had seen today, they were still far from being a _team_.

Choza was going to be the easiest to work with, that much was clear. He was already a friend to both Inoichi and Shikaku individually, which was going to be useful. But what Tobirama sought to focus on was his natural instinct. Aside from being the mediator of their little group, Choza had good battle sense. He knew when to exploit an opening and attack, and when to back down from a situation that was over his head – it was a quality that many a shinobi had died lacking.

Shikaku was an enigma, but even at that, Tobirama wasn't overly concerned. The boy was stubborn and lazy, but if a challenge was put to him, he seemed to rise to the occasion. With him, it was all a matter of giving him incentive to work. If he could find the proper motivation, Shikaku would be in shape in no time flat.

The difficulty, however, was going to lie with the Yamanaka boy. He was going to require considerably more study. Tobirama grimaced slightly, recalling a conversation he'd had with his father shortly before accepting the commission.

"_The Yamanaka clan is invaluable to our village, but their jutsu are… unpredictable. And the boy is hesitant. Everything that his teachers have said indicate that he's brilliant, a prodigy even, which isn't surprising, but he only demonstrates what he is taught. Of his own jutsu, we've seen practically nothing except for that… interesting display."_

Tobirama rubbed his neck. Yes, an interesting display, at the very least. He had never felt anything like it. The sudden invasion of another into your mind, pushing apart the carefully constructed infrastructure and invading every aspect of your being. It made him shudder to even think about it.

"Nii-san?"

A hesitant voice brought Tobirama away from his planning. A tiny head peeked out of the downstairs window of the house he had just been passing. The exterior was one he recognized distinctly, and the irony wasn't lost on him. He had allowed his feet to guide him, and _this _was where he ended up?

He certainly hadn't intended to go by the Hokage's residence this evening, but it seemed fate enjoyed challenging him. What choice did he have but to acquiesce?

Keeping his face as stoic as possible, Tobirama knelt at the window, leaning forward until his eyes were only just visible over the sill. A pair of enormous brown eyes stared back at him. Slowly, Tobirama lifted his head until it was fully visible and made a face, sticking his tongue out at the figure in the window.

The little boy mirrored his expression at first, but he couldn't maintain it for very long. He quickly lost himself instead to giggles, hiding his face behind his hands. Every few seconds, he would peek out of his fingers at the ridiculous face in front of him, and then dissolve instantly back into laughter.

Behind Tobirama, a door flew open. He straightened back up, but he was unable to keep from smiling.

A stern face gazed out at him. "Well, are you coming in or would you like to continue making a fool of yourself for your brother's amusement?"

Tobirama shrugged, but he entered the house nonetheless. "Nice to see you too, Mom."

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her frown disapprovingly, but he did his best to ignore the expression. It wasn't like he wasn't used to it.

Besides, forgetting a mother's disapproval was easily accomplished when one was suddenly accosted by a three-year old.

Tobirama grinned down at his little brother, scooping him up and hoisting him into the air with ease. The little boy screamed with laughter.

"Nii-san, put me down!"

Tobirama lowered him so that their eyes were on a level with one another. "What's the magic word?"

"Tobirama, put your brother down." Biwako's authoritative voice rang out from the kitchen. "Asuma has been sick recently. He doesn't need to get worked up."

Asuma frowned, a little wrinkle forming across the bridge of his nose. "But Mama…"

"But nothing." She walked back into the front room and removed her squirming son from Tobirama's arms, setting him back on the ground. "Run along now. Your brother and I need to talk."

"But Mama!" Asuma latched onto Tobirama's leg, his voice dangerously close to a whine.

"Asuma."

The little boy, recognizing the severity of her tone, detached himself from his brother. With one last forlorn look, he reluctantly slunk away.

"Aww, c'mon, Mom." Tobirama followed her back into the kitchen, taking a seat at the table as she went back to the stove. "I haven't seen the kid for ages, the least you could let me do is spend some time with him."

"Perhaps if you visited more often, that wouldn't be a problem."

The statement stung, and Tobirama had to bite back the urge to retort. It wasn't as though he didn't want to, just…

Shaking his head, he smiled.

"Dad home yet?"

"I don't know when your father will be home. Though I'm sure if he'd known you were coming, he'd be more apt to finish his paperwork."

Tobirama let out a bark of laughter, his grin widening.

"Dad, wanting to see _me_? So he can tell me how I need to be more serious about my work?" He lowered his voice in an imitation of the Hokage's gruff intonation. "Now, Tobirama—"

"You do." Biwako snapped back. "And no. He wants to know how you're handling training those three boys."

Tobirama's smile faltered a little.

"It's going fine. Dad doesn't need to worry about that."

Biwako grunted, but made no further comment. Tobirama stared at her back, contemplating. Was it just his imagination that she seemed more tired than usual? The gnawing guilt of her earlier words clawed its way back into his gut.

_Perhaps if you visited more often…_

But it was best not to dwell on that. Tobirama stood up and strode over to the stove, leaning over his mother's shoulder as he had when he was a teenager.

"So, what's for dinner?"

* * *

><p>Night had fallen long ago, and the house was quiet. Inoichi had retired to his room earlier that evening, claiming a headache. Thankfully, his mother hadn't questioned him any further on the matter. He'd turned off the light in his room, but he hadn't slept. Instead, he waited for the sound of his mother's footsteps to recede back to her room, watched for the extinguishing of the light.<p>

Then, when he was certain it was clear, he stole into the library.

Since his tenure in the hospital, Inoichi had been having strange dreams, dreams so lucid that he felt as though he wasn't sleeping at all. It was as though he lived someone else's life while he slept, felt what they felt, waded through their memories. The dreams worried him, and he didn't know what to do about them, but he was tired of letting them rage through his head.

He'd kept the key to the library after his mother's incident – she hadn't said a word about it, ostensibly having forgotten about it. At first, Inoichi had possessed no interest in doing anything with it. The library had been strictly off-limits for many years, and it only held a bunch of boring histories and outdated textbooks anyway. But recently, he had been thinking more and more about the library, and the resources it might hold.

Something inside of him nagged at him, whispering that the answers he was searching for might lie just behind a door.

He snuck in quietly, pressing the door closed behind him. Nimble fingers trailed over the stacks of books as he searched, wading through endless useless documents until he finally found some that were of interest.

Two documents in particular had piqued his curiosity. He pulled one from the cabinet in the corner, a file bearing the Yamanaka crest. The other was an official report bearing the seal of the Hokage himself, and was decidedly thinner. Settling onto the floor next to the window, allowing the light to shine onto the page, he cracked open the latter.

It was a medical report, and the first part of it was scrawled in the messy handwriting of a nurse. It was the second part he was interested in, which was neatly typed.

**Medic's Report**

Yamanaka.

Male.

Age 33.

There appear to be no physical wound, and all vitals remain stable. We are beginning to fear dehydration, as he refuses to drink or eat. Preliminary reflex tests were administered: still no response. He recognizes no one, does not speak, moves only when assisted.

He is, for all intents, a body without a soul.

The other document was the transcript of a letter, or at least the latter half of one. The first part had been ripped away and presumably destroyed. Inoichi could not be sure when it had been lost. Consequently, it started in the middle of a line.

'…someone qualified to take the responsibility of the duties of the Main Branch. I am not asking you to decide now, only to consider.

I know the decision you are facing is one that we cannot even fathom, and we will do all we can to help you and your son in your time of need. However, the fact remains that Inoichi is still too young to be considered, and the needs of the clan persist, regardless of personal tragedy. Your husband is in no state to make this decision, but someone must. Merely think about it.'

The signature was an unintelligible scribble, but Inoichi was intelligent enough to have at least a general idea of the letter's author.

The accident had occurred so long ago – at the time, Inoichi could barely comprehend the situation itself, much less its larger implications. He had only known that suddenly Father hadn't recognized him, and Mother had been reduced to tears at the drop of a hat. Inoichi had been forced quickly into the realization that he could no longer afford to simply be a child, devoid of any knowledge of the harsh realities of shinobi life.

Still, the clan politics had never factored into his consideration at all. He had been much too young to understand such things, and even by the time he did, the power of the Main Branch was too far removed to be of any consequence.

But this… he stared at the letter in his hands. It was too much to comprehend just yet, but it was certainly worth investigating.

Setting it gently aside, he moved onto the next shelf. Even if it took him all night, Inoichi was going to find the answers he needed.

* * *

><p><em>AN: Hello all. Sorry, I know this chapter's a little shorter, but the next scene didn't quite fit in with all this, so I decided to separate it out. _

_Thanks to _sad little monkey, Dark Haired California Girl, UnforeseenUndeniable, _and _Flaming Beauty_ for your reviews. They really inspire me to keep going. _

_Hope you enjoyed the chapter! Leave your thoughts in reviews, if you'd be so kind._

_- Senka Hitomi_


	12. Chapter 12

Another week had passed them by, and it was becoming harder and harder for Inoichi to hide his frustration. After the first day of unsuccessful attempts at sparring, he had merely chalked it up to chance. Everyone had an off day every now and again, even him. But day after day, he fell to simple mistakes – albeit, different ones every time, but enough to build a nagging feeling of failure in the pit of his stomach.

After such a series of disasters, Inoichi was more than happy to be done with training and on his way home; a day of failed attempts made Inoichi disinclined to stick around the training grounds. But today, as he gathered up his things and moved to start down the path, a heavy hand fell on his shoulder. He frowned slightly.

"Inoichi, I was wondering if we might talk."

Unfortunately, both of his teammates were still within earshot, and though Choza did his best to hide any knowledge of the conversation, Shikaku turned his head and gave Inoichi a quiet-yet-definitive smirk. The expression was enough to make Inoichi's blood boil, but the pressure of the hand on his shoulder was enough to keep him – and his temper – grounded.

Inoichi gingerly extricated himself from his sensei's grip and turned to face him. It was harder to keep up his characteristic impassivity after a long day of training, but he was not about to give Sarutobi-sensei any excuse to tease out his weaknesses.

When Choza and Shikaku had disappeared over the hill, Tobirama sat down, his boyish features relaxing into a smile that Inoichi was sure was meant to be reassuring.

To Inoichi, it merely looked patronizing. He remained standing.

"You wanted to talk about my poor performance in training, sensei?"

Tobirama raised an eyebrow, releasing a startled chuckle.

"My, you cut straight to the point," He crossed his arms as he looked at Inoichi. "Though that isn't how I would have put it."

It was Inoichi's turn to look surprised.

"How would you have put it, sensei?"

Tobirama considered for a moment.

"You haven't been performing poorly, Inoichi," he began.

_On the contrary, _Inoichi retorted silently, _I've been performing abysmally, and we both know it._

"You've been trying. I've observed you three long enough now that I know you're not losing these spars because you're not a competent shinobi, or because you're not trying."

A breeze tickled Inoichi's skin and sent hair flying into his face. Despite the distraction, he stood stock still, hoping Sarutobi-sensei would continue. After all, if Inoichi _knew _what was wrong, wouldn't he be trying to fix it?

After a few moments of silent contemplation, Tobirama fixed him with a curious gaze.

"Inoichi, why are you holding back?"

Iniochi blinked.

"I'm not sure what you mean, sensei."

"Inoichi," Tobirama stood, folding his arms as he regarded his student. In the distance, Inoichi picked up the sound of children's laughter and a barking dog, and it occurred to him that at this moment, he would rather be anywhere than beneath his teacher's gaze. "You're holding back. Your taijutsu training is excellent, but it isn't enough to counter Shikaku's ninjutsu, and you know that."

"I agree, sensei."

"Then you'll also agree that in order to do that, you ought to be using your own ninjutsu."

"The clone jutsu and substitution jutsu seem to be ineffective," Inoichi offered, but it rang hollow even to his own ears. The discomfort that had now lodged itself firmly in his gut told him that Sarutobi-sensei meant something else.

Tobirama gave an exasperated sigh. Apparently, his patience was quick to give way under Inoichi's careful avoidance.

"Inoichi, why aren't you using your clan jutsu?"

Inoichi gave his teacher a blank stare, but inside, his stomach was roiling.

"Inoichi." Tobirama's normally relaxed gaze was stern, or at least as stern as he could manage under the circumstances. "I don't expect you to lie to me and say that you aren't aware of them. You should know as well as I do that—"

"Sensei, I can't."

The statement was so quiet that it reached Tobirama as little more than a mumble.

"Inoichi…"

"I cannot use it." Inoichi stated flatly; this time, the words rang out clear as day. At his sides, white and red splotches burned across his clenched fists, and his green eyes flashed, sharp and dangerous.

A slight frown creased Tobirama's face and he took a step forward.

"Inoichi, I know the last time—"

"Yes, the last time."

Tobirama fell silent.

"The last time, because there will only _be _one time," Inoichi intoned fiercely. "I've seen what happens. I know. I know what happens when the jutsu goes wrong, when it isn't perfect."

His voice quavering, Inoichi dropped his head. He couldn't bear to continue looking at his teacher, for fear that his eyes would reveal the deep, clawing fear that pushed the words out of his mouth.

"I will not be like my father."

With that, he left the training ground.

* * *

><p>"<em>Where <em>is _he?"_

_Walking close to the gardens, Inoichi caught the last snatches of a voice that sounded distinctly like it belonged to the person he'd been searching for. Rounding the corner, he saw his daughter, dressed all in white, venting to a pink-haired girl who looked like she was working very hard to remain calm. _

"_Ino dear?"_

_At the sound of his voice, Ino turned, her eyes widening for a moment before she barreled toward him, knocking him in the arm. It was difficult to look so threatening in a wedding dress, but somehow, his daughter managed it nicely._

"_Where have you been?"_

"_Well, dear, I thought I'd been looking for you, but apparently I was mistaken." Inoichi's attempt at humor was met with a flat stare. _

"_That isn't funny, you know."_

_He shrugged. "An old man can try, can't he?"_

_Ino shook her head. Sighing, she turned away. _

"_Do you think I'm ready, Dad?"_

_Inoichi was taken aback by the question. Such uncertainty from his headstrong little girl was uncharacteristic, to say the least._

"_To get married?" He laid a hand on her shoulder and led her to a bench to sit. "Do you want the objective answer, or my answer as your father?"_

_She rolled her eyes and pushed his shoulder gently._

"_Daaad." She smiled. "That actually wasn't what I meant. Just…"_

"_Just what?"_

"_Taking on all of this responsibility!" She sighed, "Preparing to become the head of the clan. Am I ready?"_

_Inoichi reached out for her hands and turned them over. _

"_You see these hands? These aren't the hands of some scared little girl." He turned them over, squeezing him tight in his own large, scarred hands. It seemed like yesterday these hands had been no longer than his pinky finger. _

"_Hell," he grinned up at her, waiting until she returned the smile. "You are _my_ daughter, after all."_

* * *

><p>Inoichi ran blindly, cursing himself at every step. This wasn't how it was supposed to go, this wasn't right! He wasn't supposed to have difficulties training, and he wasn't supposed to fight with his teacher, and most of all, he wasn't supposed to be afraid.<p>

After all, he'd been reading. Over the past week, he'd spent every moment he could buy ensconced in the family library, poring over text after text to understand what it was he needed to do. And for a moment, he had even felt like he was making some headway. He was beginning to understand what had gone wrong the first time he'd accidentally used the jutsu, began to understand how he might correct it…

… but then one look at that medical report had brought it all crashing down again.

Inoichi scrubbed at his eyes, willing away the stinging.

If only he could just…

The thought remained incomplete as Inoichi, still running at full speed, abruptly slammed into something large and solid and blacked out.

* * *

><p><em>AN: Hello readers! I'm so so sorry for the break between updates. I had some serious writer's block, but I worked my way through it, and here's the new chapter! _

_Thanks to _UnforeseenUndeniable, Flaming Beauty _and_ sad little monkey _for your reviews and for sticking with this story so long. _

_Can't wait to hear what you all think of this chapter!_


	13. Chapter 13

"…hit pretty hard…"

"…_got to convince him somehow…"_

"Look, I think he might be coming to!"

"…_teammates to encourage him, but no…"_

Inoichi flickered back into consciousness. Pain pulsed from a spot on his forehead, and when he lifted his hand to check the spot, he could feel the beginnings of a very nasty bruise.

_What did I do?_ His head was swimming, making it very hard to recall much of anything.

When he opened his eyes, it only made his confusion worse. He couldn't be sure if it was just the blow to the head, but something was definitely wrong. He was seeing double – only it wasn't just two of the same image floating before his vision. Instead, he saw two separate images: bright sunlight and the artificial light that illuminated a messy room; a clear blue sky and stacks upon stacks of books…

As his still-spinning brain attempted to make sense of the situation, a cool hand touched his forehead, probing gently for injuries. When the hand reached the bruised area, Inoichi let out a hiss of pain.

"Are you awake?" A calm and distinctly feminine voice spoke gently near his ear. He started to turn his head, but another hand shot out and steadied his head, keeping it in place.

"No, don't move. We don't know the extent of the damage yet, so it's best if you just stay put for now."

Inoichi blinked blearily; normally, he would question the medical training of the individual examining him, but his head was still too addled put forth a decent argument.

"The kid should have been watching where he was going," someone spat. Inoichi couldn't see the man, but the pure venom in his tone sent a chill down Inoichi's spine.

"Well, you know, if you hadn't had that huge scroll sitting in the middle of the path, the poor kid might not have careened into it!" A third voice bit back.

The response was a sigh that sounded more like a hiss.

"Both of you _baka_, shut up!" The woman's voice, which had been so gentle earlier, turned harsh in an instant. It was soft, though, when she spoke to Inoichi again.

"How do you feel?"

"Fuzzy," Inoichi responded. It wasn't the right thing to say, but it was the first that came to mind. Gradually, his head was beginning to clear and the images around him were resolving into a neater view of reality, one rather than two. Gone were the endless stacks of books and papers: he was outside, as he had always been. Still, his head wasn't feeling the best, and his eyes were stinging like he had been…

…_crying_. His stomach churned as he remembered.

A short bark of laughter came from somewhere to his right.

"I'd feel fuzzy too, kid, if I'd taken that hit."

The hand on Inoichi's forehead disappeared, and he caught a hint of something minty. It cleared his head, and the last vestige of dizziness filtered from his consciousness.

"There." The woman said, "I think you're alright.

"Careful," she urged as helped him to his feet. "You don't want to overdo it."

Inoichi shakily recovered his balance. When he was back on his feet, he turned to look at his savior, hoping to thank her and make a quick exit. However, the sight that met him was _not _what he had been expecting.

Warm brown eyes stared at him out of a heart shaped face, surrounded by a thick head of blonde hair. Glancing over his shoulder, he took stock of her companions: one was thin and pale, with a calculating look about him that was almost reptilian; the other was tall and tan, with a wide, genial face made to accommodate a smile.

With growing dread, he fully recognized the predicament in which he now found himself.

_The former students of the Hokage._

He registered this fact with no small amount of awe, but by this time, Tsunade had seen fit to continue the conversation, so he had no time to dwell on it.

"Are you feeling alright? No dizziness or nausea?"

Inoichi's tongue felt like sandpaper – swallowing didn't seem to help the matter.

"He must be brain damaged," drawled Orochimaru. "The boy can't even speak."

"Or maybe he's just tongue-tied by our Tsunade-hime's beauty!"

Jiraiya's comment was swiftly met with a punch to the shoulder, which sent him staggering. Orochimaru didn't bother to suppress a snicker.

"I-I'm fine." Inoichi finally managed to stutter out. "Thank you for your help, and I am sorry for causing trouble. I should go."

Inoichi tried to quell the shaking in his legs, but it did little good. Tsunade forestalled the rest of his attempt at a dignified exit, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Turning his head toward her, she examined his face with the careful precision of a medic. "You have some swelling around your eyes."

Inoichi held back a wince. He just _had _to run into one of the most skilled healers in all of Konoha. Why didn't she just come out and say that he had been crying? She obviously knew.

"It isn't anything of note." Inoichi pushed her hand away as gently as possible, but she still looked skeptical.

_If I can just get away…_

He had taken no more than two steps when a hand fell on his shoulder. Even through two layers of clothing, a cold sensation sank into his skin.

"Wait a moment, boy." Orochimaru's voice had taken on a strange cast, but Inoichi couldn't quite place what it was. "You belong to the Yamanaka clan, do you not?"

Inoichi swallowed, trying not to betray the ice cold fear that was rising irrationally from his toes all the way up his body.

"Yes."

The smallest of smiles flashed across Orochimaru's face.

"Interesting," he purred. "Very interesting. Judging by your age, you're a genin?"

"Yes, sir." Every answer made it harder to keep the fear from seeping into his voice. From here, he could see the slit pupil of Orochimaru's eye, framed in sickly green-brown.

_The color of a dying plant_, he thought with an inward shudder.

"You wouldn't be related to—"

"Fancy running into you all here!"

Orochimaru's question remained unfinished, cut off by the warm voice of one Dan Katō. Despite the fact that he'd only ever met the man once, and then only briefly, Inoichi had never been so glad to see someone in his entire life.

Orochimaru's hand slipped from his shoulder as he turned.

"Katō," he said with cool disinterest.

Dan smiled genially.

"Orochimaru. Always a pleasure. And Jiraiya!" He turned to offer a hand to the larger man. Inoichi caught a look of unsuppressed irritation on Jiraiya's face as he took Dan's hand. When they shook, his grip was just slightly too tight.

"What brings you all here? I could have sworn Tsunade…" At that, he glanced in her direction, blushing slightly. Tsunade, for her part, was already a nice shade of maroon. "…told me you all were out on assignment for the next few weeks."

"We were." Jiraiya was quick to answer. Where he had been all smiles before, he was now a ball of tense energy, bristling like a porcupine. "We just had some… issues to report to Sarutobi-sensei."

"Really, Jiraiya, grow up." Tsunade gave an exasperated sigh, finally finding a voice for the first time since Dan had entered the conversation. "You act like we're still kids at the Academy."

Jiraiya shrunk back like a struck puppy.

Tsunade turned back to Dan, ignoring her sulking teammate. "Border surveys didn't exactly turn out like we expected. We thought the _Hokage_," she emphasized the word with a glare in Jiraiya's direction, "would like to know about the activity that's been going on."

Dan frowned slightly, processing the news. Inoichi could practically see the wheels turning – this wasn't something he'd been expecting.

"Well," he concluded, returning to his usual genial countenance. "In that case, I'd better not keep you all."

For the first time, he appeared to notice Inoichi.

"This has been fortuitous timing, though," He smiled faintly at Inoichi. "I'd wanted to check in with Tobirama on how the training was going, but I think talking to one of his students might even be a better gauge. Care to walk with me, Inoichi?"

Normally, he might have been a little more hesitant to start a conversation about his lackluster training with one of the most revered shinobi in the village, but between the head injury and the sickening fixation of Orochimaru's probing gaze, Inoichi couldn't agree fast enough.

"Wonderful!" Dan exclaimed. "Well, I'll catch up with you all later. Right?"

He directed the last question at Tsunade, who flashed him a quick grin, then hurried off in the other direction. Jiraiya shuffled dejectedly after her.

"So, how has your training been going?"

Dan began the conversation as easily as if they were old friends. His very presence was comforting, and for a moment, Inoichi found himself wishing he could just confide in Dan, tell him the truth about how terribly it was going, how badly he was failing, how far his expectations were from the mess that was his reality.

But he knew he couldn't do that. As they walked, he bit back his irrational overflow of worry and lied.

"It's going fine."

"So Tobirama's doing well with you all then? Haven't had any major problems?"

"No, sir."

"Hope you didn't mind me interrupting your conversation with Orochimaru there."

Taken aback by the abrupt change in subject, Inoichi completely forgot to filter his response.

"Not at _all._"

Dan let out a bark of laughter.

"He's a strange guy, no doubt about it." He shook his head. "Tsunade says he's a genius, but something about him just seems…"

He gestured vaguely, trying to find the words, but then waved it off.

"I don't know."

They walked in silence for a few moments, and Inoichi measured his steps. Dan had no idea where they were going, and yet he had matched Inoichi's stride perfectly, measure for measure.

After a moment, there came a softer question.

"So, are you going to tell me how training has actually been going?"

Inoichi looked up, startled. Was it really that obvious?

"If you're wondering how I could tell," Dan said, "I have been talking with Tobirama a bit. He says he doesn't think you're reaching your full potential. That you're holding back."

_The same things he tried to tell me_, Inoichi thought bitterly.

"Did he send you here to ask me? To try to make me talk about it?"

It was Dan's turn to look startled.

"No, no." He shook his head vehemently. "Nothing like that. Actually, to be honest, he asked me not to mention it after he told me. Said that it was something he had to think about for a while."

Inoichi relaxed a little. _So maybe this isn't some ploy._

"Can I ask you something, Inoichi?"

Inoichi nodded.

"Is it the injury, or something else that's holding you back?"

Inoichi stared at his feet, trying to come up with an answer. It was the same question he'd been asking himself over and over again, with little result.

Seeing his obvious anxiety, Dan tried again.

"Let me ask something different. Do you think special training would make you feel better about trying to use the jutsu?"

Inoichi glanced over at him.

"What do you mean?"

"If someone were to give you specialized training to understand your jutsu, would you consider using it?"

The thought hadn't ever occurred to Inoichi. After all, who would even be able to teach him? Since the excommunication from the clan, there was no one there, unless…

He stared at Dan. His blue-eyed gaze was as calm as ever.

"Are you saying you would teach me?"

Dan slowed slightly.

"I don't know how often I would be able to work with you. But when I'm here in the village, I think it would be beneficial for you to train with someone who has a little experience with similar techniques.

"You don't have to decide now. But if it's something you think you might consider, I think it could be helpful."

Inoichi stopped in the middle of the path, spellbound.

"In addition to regular training?"

"Naturally," said Dan, as if it had never even crossed his mind to think otherwise.

Inoichi considered.

"How soon would I need to notify you?"

"Day after tomorrow. Would that give you enough time?"

Inoichi gave a short nod.

Dan smiled slightly.

"Day after tomorrow then. Let me know what you decide."

As Dan headed back toward the center of the village, Inoichi watched his retreating back. Specialized training? With one of the most powerful shinobi in the village? For a moment, he almost wondered if this was some sort of brain injury playing tricks on him.

But whatever it was, for the first time in weeks, Inoichi felt some small stirring of hope.

He turned back toward home – he had a lot of thinking to do.

* * *

><p><em>AN: Hello, everyone! Sorry it's been a while. My apologies._

_Thank you so much to _Flaming Beauty, Unforeseen Undeniable, sad little monkey _and _Gerren _for your reviews! You guys are really the reason I keep writing, and I hope you continue to like what I'm doing with the story. _

_Please let me know what you think of the chapter, and thanks again for all of your support!_


	14. Chapter 14

Inoichi cleared his throat, raising a hesitant hand to knock on the door in front of him. He hoped the research he had done proved correct – if not, this was going to be rather embarrassing.

A few seconds passed, but there was no answer. Inoichi took a deep breath, fighting the anxiety that bubbled in his throat.

_Maybe he simply isn't home. Perhaps I should return later…_

He turned back to look at the door. It was just ordinary, no special demarcations suggesting that this might be the residence of Dan Katō.

_Though really_, Inoichi considered with an inward sigh_, what more could one expect? He's just a person like anyone else._

A few more seconds had ticked by without a reply, and Inoichi was beginning to think perhaps this hadn't been such a good idea. He glanced over his shoulder. If he turned around and went to the training grounds now, he could get in a few extra rounds of taijutsu training before his team's daily practice…

"Inoichi?"

Inoichi spun on his heel, trying and failing to suppress his surprise. Dan stood in the doorway, his light hair luminescent in the early morning sunlight. He gave Inoichi a gentle smile.

"I apologize for startling you. And for not getting to the door sooner. I'm in the middle of a very good book, and I tend to get a bit involved." Dan chuckled. "Would you like to come in? I just put some tea on."

"No, I simply…" Inoichi paused, taking a moment to compose himself. It would be best not to stutter through this. "I appreciate the offer, but I had not intended to stay. I simply wanted to let you know that I would like to take you up on your offer from yesterday."

Dan looked momentarily puzzled, but Inoichi watched as realization dawned in his eyes, and his entire face brightened.

"So you want to train?"

Inoichi nodded succinctly, not trusting himself to speak, lest he betray his trepidation.

Dan grinned warmly, extending a hand to clap Inoichi on the shoulder.

"Wonderful. We can start as soon tomorrow, if you'd like. Would morning or evening work better for you?"

"Morning, I think," Inoichi said thoughtfully. "Before my team trains would be best."

Morning training would mean waking even earlier than usual and missing some of his own taijutsu training time. He would probably have to make up for the missed individual practice sessions in the evening after dinner. Less sleep _and _more work. Still… it would all be worth it to train with Dan Katō.

"Besides," he added, the words coming with startling conviction, "my mother gets anxious in the evenings if I'm not home for dinner."

It was a small admission and not entirely incriminating, but even that little phrase felt good to get off his chest. The brief pensive glance that Dan gave him only confirmed his belief that Katō had some idea of his mother's predicament after all.

"Alright then. Morning it is." Dan confirmed.

"Good." Inoichi folded his arms, suddenly unsure of what to do or say. His entire purpose for being here was to inform Dan of his decision. Now that the information had been relayed… he clasped his hands behind his back, quashing his nervousness. "I ought to get to practice now. I apologize for disturbing you so early."

Dan shook his head. "No problem. Good luck at training today."

Inoichi turned to go, a bit of anxiety uncoiling from the pit of his stomach. At least that was done.

"And Inoichi?"

He turned back, glancing at Dan where he stood framed in the doorway. Dan's face had taken a serious cast, his green eyes solemn.

"You're a smart kid. I think you're making the right decision."

The unsolicited approval struck Inoichi. He had been praised by many teachers for his success at the Academy, but rarely had any compliment possessed the sincerity of Dan's simple statement. For the first time in months, Inoichi recognized the feeling that had been gnawing quietly at his gut, draining him of will – it was hopelessness. Yet with Dan's few words, a tiny portion of it dissipated, vanishing like wisps of smoke.

Inoichi turned back around, hiding the tiny smile that tugged at the corner of his mouth.

"Thank you, Katō-sensei."

* * *

><p>Tobirama sat at the edge of the training field, watching his three trainees as they sparred. He'd opted for a more open practice today, giving the three an opportunity to gauge one another's progress rather than engaging in the individual evaluations he usually started with. In typical fashion, both Choza and Shikaku were putting in a solid effort, their skills markedly improved from a few weeks ago. But Inoichi…<p>

Today, it was like watching an entirely different person. In previous practices, Inoichi had never exactly been inattentive, but today, he seemed to be hyperfocused. Every minute detail, he caught, exploiting them to expose his teammates' weaknesses and back them into corners at every turn. At that very moment, he watched at Choza attempted a partial expansion to catch Inoichi off guard, but when he swung his enlarged hand, Inoichi wasn't there. In a flash, the boy was behind Choza, using the weight of his arm to bring him crashing to the ground.

Tobirama had no idea what it was, but _something _had changed.

"Alright!" he called out, halting Shikaku in the midst of a substitution jutsu. "I want you guys to take a quick break. Get some water, rest for a second, and we'll do some more focused work for the second half of the session. Choza, the transition for the partial expansion is going much more smoothly, but I still want to work on your balance. If an enemy sees that, he'll exploit it just like Inoichi did.

"Shikaku, you did well on the defensive, but we've still got to work on your offensive attacks. Just because they take more effort doesn't mean they aren't worthwhile."

His comment was met with a grumble, but Tobirama chose to ignore Shikaku's rolled eyes and mumbled excuses. Over the past few weeks, he had found that was most effective way to deal with the boy's laziness. While not the most proactive solution, it at least kept his complaining to a minimum.

"Inoichi," Tobirama hesitated. The change in the boy's behavior was enough to warrant a serious conversation. In all the weeks they had trained, he had never seen this kind of acuity from Inoichi. But, he considered, perhaps now wasn't the time for it – especially considering how badly their conversation had gone the previous day.

Instead, he offered the boy a reassuring smile. "Good work out there today. You're reading the manuevers well. Keep it up."

Inoichi merely blinked at the compliment, but Tobirama could have sworn he caught the faintest glimmer of something else in his expression. There was a set to his jaw that looked like determination.

_Maybe something I said actually got through to the boy_, Tobirama mused. Whatever it was, it appeared to be working.

Tobirama chuckled to himself. With Inoichi finally working at near-full capacity, the possibilities were endless.

"Okay, guys. Back to work!"

* * *

><p>By the end of the session, Inoichi was out of breath, but satisfied with himself. He could tell that Sarutobi-sensei was happier too – he had pushed them harder in the afternoon practice, running them through new scenarios, and they had responded well. After their final spar, he could tell that Sarutobi wanted to talk to him about the sudden change, but Inoichi wasn't quite ready to discuss it – or address the argument yesterday. Before Sarutobi-sensei could manage to pull him aside, Inoichi had already slipped away, trotting down the path toward his home.<p>

He took the path at a jog, enjoying the way the breeze felt as it rushed over his skin. Yesterday had certainly been a low point, but today was turning out better than he could have imagined. Maybe, just maybe, he could learn how to control—

"Yamanaka!"

Inoichi slowed, his shoes throwing up dirt as he came to a stop. At first, he couldn't believe his ears, but as he turned, the vision of a dark-headed figure running down the road confirmed it.

The Nara boy was clearly not accustomed to jogging, as evidenced by his inclination to exert as little effort as possible in any task, but he was a surprisingly quick runner. Inoichi watched him with arms crossed, raising a skeptical eyebrow as Nara skidded to a halt next to him.

"Didn't think I was going to catch up to you," Nara mumbled under his breath, half-glaring at Inoichi over his shoulder. "I didn't realize how eager you are to get away from practice."

Inoichi couldn't completely hide his puzzlement. "I assure you, that was not the case."

"Coulda fooled me," Nara stood up straight, an unusual change from his customary slump. When he met Inoichi's eye, the gaze was not entirely friendly. "Look, we need to talk."

"Alright. What do you want to talk about?"

"About today." Nara's dark eyes studied him, calculating. "Sarutobi noticed it, but didn't say anything, and so did Choza, but I'm not one to keep my mouth shut. Up until now, you've performed adequately. Performed your part in team formations, all that. But today, out of nowhere, you're acting like a top-rank shinobi. Like the kind of guy who _should _have graduated at the head of the class."

"And you want to know why?" Inoichi surmised, cutting him off.

"Personally, I don't give a rat's ass _why_ you suddenly started acting like the genius everyone thinks you are," Shikaku said. "I don't know if the girl you like suddenly decided to date you, or you've figured out some existential crisis, or what the hell is going on. What I do know is that you can't pull this crap and expect us to just play along with it."

Inoichi took a step back, Nara's words landing with the weight of a physical blow. Inoichi had expected excitement from his team over the sudden change, maybe even anger at the way he'd shown them up, but this… what was this?

"I—"

"Look, Yamanaka," Shikaku said pointedly, "if you can perform like you did today, then it is your obligation to our _team _to maintain that level of performance. I cannot imagine that a kid like you, top of the class, golden child of our year, wants to be on some sub-par ninja squad. And neither do Choza and I. So if you want this team to be the best it can be, you can't just turn your enthusiasm on and off at the drop of a hat. You have to be present for every single one of our training sessions."

Color was rising in Nara's tan cheeks as he spoke, vehemence bleeding into his words. Inoichi opened his mouth to respond, but Nara quickly cut him off again.

"I have my weaknesses, I know that. And so do you. But if you're willing to put your brain into it, we can make this team great. So the next time you show up for a training session and decide to just check out, I'm not going to stand for it. We've seen what you can do, and I _will_ call your bluff when it's necessary. We will succeed as shinobi, but you've got to give it your all, regardless of whatever's going on in that big head of yours. You understand? "

Nara stopped, clearly waiting for Inoichi to reply, but Inoichi was too dumbfounded to form a proper response. Part of him – a childish, angry part of him – wanted to lash out at Shikaku, to say that he would do what he damn well pleased, and that he could not always guarantee that he would be operating at full capacity. But something larger, something more substantial, overrode that impulse.

Because, he realized with resignation, Shikaku was right.

Inoichi let out a slow breath, releasing the impulse to anger with it.

"I understand."

He was more than a little satisfied to see that his answer surprised Shikaku. The dark-haired boy took a step back, his posture receding slightly into its customary slump.

"Well… good."

"Was that all?" Inoichi asked, managing to keep his tone level.

"That's all," Shikaku said gruffly, turning away from him. Without so much as a goodbye, he began shuffling back down the road. Inoichi regarded him, bemused.

"Nara."

He didn't bother to turn in the road, but he paused.

"Thank you for the reminder. I will do better."

Shikaku gave something that sounded like a grunt of affirmation. He started back down the path, but not before Inoichi caught his parting words.

"Good job today, Yamanaka."

* * *

><p><em>Inoichi walked a few circles around the garden with his daughter, her hand resting in the crook of his arm. It wasn't quite time for the ceremony to start yet, but something sentimental within him urged him to spend these last few moments with his daughter before she embarked on her new adventure. Ino didn't seem to mind the company – she had calmed considerably since he arrived.<em>

_The wind rustled through the leaves of the plants as they walked, casting stray petals in their path. Inoichi followed their motion absently._

"_Is it strange?" _

_Her question broke through the muddle of his thoughts – lost in nostalgia as he'd been, he had to admit he didn't quite follow._

"_Is what strange?"_

"_Seeing us grown. Getting married." She paused, pursing her lips in thought. "When you were young, did you know how close your families would be? Did you ever consider the possibility that your children might marry one another?"_

_Inoichi gave a rumbling chuckle, imagining the response that his younger self would have had to such a question. _

"_No, Ino dear, I can't say that I ever had any notion."_

* * *

><p><em>AN: Hi dears. So, umm... it's been a while. I'm more sorry than I can possibly express about that. I can only hope that some of you have still stayed with me all this time, and that my writing is still up to par. _

_That said, reviews are loved and cherished. Thanks to _sumtyms, Anne Marie Masen, sadlittlemonkey, _and _ _for your reviews, and to everyone who has added this story to their alerts over the past few months. You guys are fantastic, and I hope you'll continue to read. _

_Next up: Inoichi's training!_


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